The Pale Cage
by ChristianOtaku
Summary: The Doctor awakes to find himself in a glass prison, surrounded by people in white lab coats. His reflection in the glass reveals that he isn't who he thinks he is. Why do white eyes peer back?
1. Chapter 1

_Pale eyes opened to a glass cage._

_A deep gasp for air_

_Coughing strangling_

_Numb limbs refused to work_

_laid like rubber in a bath_

_Reflection of the icy prison_

_The face that looked back was pale_

_White, slick with sweat_

_A mop of dark brown hair_

_A long chin_

_A cough_

_A splutter_

_Two embryonic hearts thumped wildly_

_Light gleamed in his eyes_

_He was alive_

_Another gasp for air_

_He knew who he was_

_What he was_

_But not where he was._

_Beyond the looking glass that held him captive_

_Peering eyes, ever watching_

_crowded around_

_Revelation of the Deadening_

_Put on a pyre_

_No escape from the never sleeping eyes_

He willed his limbs to move. He closed his eyes and focused. Slowly sensation reached his fingertips, he sat up. Muscle and tissue, cartilage and bone formed and grew, organs, nerves and veins fitted into place. The milky water drained from his bath. The other one was right, his molecular structure managed to survive the pulsation of the sonic screwdriver. The Flesh Time Lord closed his eyes as he searched for a proper name for himself. He was the Doctor, not the real Doctor but he and his progenitor had once swapped identities and for a good few hours...he was the Doctor. He was trusted as the Doctor and he was her Doctor, Amy's Doctor.

The Flesh held all of the Doctor's 909 years of memory. When the Doctor pretended to be the Flesh he took on the name John Smith. The flesh shook his head, he didn't want to be John Smith. He wanted to be the Doctor, but not the Doctor. The Doctor had his blue box, the Flesh had his face and memories. The Flesh thought of the regeneration before his progenitor a meta-crisis was born from him and Donna and then abandoned in a parallel universe. The Flesh was nothing like the Meta-crisis, The Meta-crisis was half human half time lord. The Flesh, if he could ever stabilize, would be a direct clone from the current Doctor. There was the chance that he could even regenerate...Well, if he wasn't the last regeneration he could.

The Flesh opened his eyes and looked out at the scientists watching him, monitoring his every move. He willed that psychic abilities would kick in. But even without scanning their minds he knew two things for sure. 1. They were human, and 2. They were not friendly. The Flesh sighed heavily, he was going to become a test subject. He really needed to find a name for himself.

The Flesh cleared his throat so that he could test his vocal cords. **"Heh"** It sounded low and rusted, he tried again, **"Hehl, Hell-"** His volume rose, a couple of humans out of the crowd looked nervous. He stared back at them. A flash of silver caught his attention, a young woman with long brown hair that was braided and put into a bun. She wore thin glasses and had silver eyes. Their was another with those same eyes, a man, he had short brown hair but his features matched the girl's. The Flesh looked between the two and realized they must be siblings, or twins or perhaps, clones?

The Flesh took another deep breath and tried to speak once more,** "Hel-lo"** He rasped out. He smiled, proud of himself. He leaned back and rested, exhaustion swept through his flesh. He really needed to find a proper name. He quite liked the Doctor's identity...But he was Flesh, a clone and he was going to be a test subject until he stabilized and could escape. He wanted his own name. He wanted to be separate from the Doctor. He was considering Fletcher, it was close to the Flesh, he wrinkled his nose, he didn't really like the name at all. He thought about Amy.

Amy had been prejudiced to the flesh. But he had shown her that he was just like the Doctor and that he cared about her just as much as the Doctor did. Pond, could he take on her name without feeling guilty? Emil Pond, how was that for stealing names? Pond thought. Hmmm did that sound right? Because Amy did accept him in the end for what he was. She had told him he was twice the man she had thought. And they both knew what he was, just a copy, a copy with feelings who deserved love and to be happy. The Doctor didn't abandon him like he did with the Meta-crisis. Pond, the Flesh Pond sacrificed his life for the lives of his friends. And it was Amelia Pond who made him who he wanted to be.

Emil Pond...No. He didn't want to steal her name. He wanted to be himself. Certainty though, that girl, he could take on her heritage perhaps? He was flesh, a copy and someday he would stabilize and become a Time Lord once more. He thought like the Doctor, acted like the Doctor, he was the Doctor. But Doctor did not define him, it was Amelia. Flesh Amelia. He remembered, the real reason why the Doctor severed his ties with Amelia, took on the identity of Flesh, traded titles. He went for the Roman instead. Because those people did not matter. The flesh and the humans, they didn't matter to Doctor. He knew Amy was Flesh before they had even arrived to the factory. So he left flesh with flesh to save the human, Rory. Because he was on a mission to save Amelia, where ever she had been taken.

But, the Amy he knew, even though she was flesh, her heart and her soul...they were in his hands and he hoped, the Flesh Hoped, he had done the right thing...Because he knew the Doctor had.

No, the Flesh would not take Amy's name. He was new like a new regeneration, and he would have his own life and he would choose how to live it. He would be reborn. He smiled. He knew the perfect name...and it just happened to be Scottish. Raeburn. He would be Raeburn.

He would never forget Amelia Pond. The first few hours of his life, when he was separated from the Doctor's memories, when he became different to the Doctor and his own memories were created, they were spent with Amelia. The Doctor severed his trust with Amelia and put it in a copy's hands. It was something special and something the new Raeburn would never ever forget.

An applause and cheers jolted Raeburn into the reminder that he was still trapped. He carefully sat up and took a look at his audience, their eyes never left his naked body. Raeburn looked down to see pink skin trying to over power the white flesh. The other gangers became more stable when they focused on becoming their own beings. Raeburn remembered trying to assimilate all of the Doctor's past regenerations, it was painful and terribly difficult for him to stabilize. He hoped he wouldn't have to go through that again...He looked at the scientists who were looking at screens and analyzing his condition. Though that pain might be a walk in the park compared to their testings.

Raeburn sat back up and worked himself to a scrunched position on his feet. He put his hands on the glass.** "Suh-So"** he worked hard to make his lips form the right way,** "Wha-Weh-ehn, Cahn Aii-**" he coughed and cleared his throat once more.** "So When Can I Come Out?"** He pushed at his already sore jaw.

An older man with graying hair answered him, "Not for a couple more hours. We've lowered the temperature and gravity field in your cubical with added purified oxygen. If you leave there you'll return back to the liquid flesh."

He had thought so. "What about Cleaves, did her molecular structure survive too?"

"Who?" The man asked.

"Cleaves, she was the head boss lady at the factory."

The older man looked over to the others, they all shook their heads. So he turned back to Raeburn, "No, we found no remnants of hers. It has been 200 years since the melt down at that factory. Four years ago we found a clump of nerves trying to reform, we found Time Lord DNA there and we've been cultivating it..."

"You mean me, you've been cultivating me." Raeburn said.

The man nodded, "We've woken you ten times before and let you outside of the cubical too soon each time, returning you back to liquid."

"So this is the eleventh attempt...Well isn't that just dandy?"


	2. Chapter 2

Outside was too hot. Always too hot. The heat wormed its way into his body, into his mind and he wilted. He looked down in horror has his bare feet on hard ground were melting. There was no blood no veins, no bones, just a puddle of liquid forming beneath him, around him. Over taking him. His newborn lungs gulped in great bellows of air, but his screams died as he melted. Hands pulled him away. He felt his Flesh separate, leave droplets on the ground, on the gloves of the scientists...why couldn't he stabilize? He was Time Lord from Galllifrey. His name was Raeburn. His best Friend Amelia Pond. His other self was the Doctor. He could remember everything, but why couldn't he stabilize?

His melting form was placed back into the cubical. The cold cubical that kept him stable, in his own universe. He wished for the Tardis now. Its energy field could stabilize him permanently. A nice dose of Artron energy would be perfect. Raeburn watched in horror as he saw the scientists scoop up bits of him left on the floor.

"Well least he didn't entirely revert back." Said Roangy. As Raeburn took to calling her. She and her twin were the grandchildren of the evil boss man who was in control of everything. Their last name was Roane, so three Roanes in the same room. It got very confusing, very quickly. So Raeburn referred to her as Roangy for Roane Girl and her brother was Roanby for Roane Boy...And Doctor Evil Pants was just Dr Roane. But Raeburn enjoyed coming up with new names for him.

"You okay in there?" Roangy asked.

Raeburn gave a weak thumbs up. He felt sick, but at least his form was reshaping. Coming back, Reborn.

The Twelve scientists who were in charge and made all the decisions, would leave the room for an hour every four hours. Raeburn thanked his Brother for the gift of sensing Time. Raeburn also knew that it had been four days since the 'eleventh attempt' to keep him from fully melting. Raeburn watched Roangy carefully. She seemed nervous.

She came right up to the glass of his cubicle. So Raeburn sat up and watched her.

"You know what you need to stabilize, don't you?" She asked him. Raeburn nodded. "What is it? Tell me so we can help you become a person."

Raeburn fought to get his vocal cords under control. "Ar-tron En-ner-gy." He said it as loud as he could muster, it was a barely audible whisper.

"Artron Energy?"

"A-" Speaking was so difficult. He closed his eyes and focused on the words he wanted to say. He tried to speak clearly, but his words nearly went unheard. "A surge of Artron energy into the flesh should help me to stabilize permanently."

Roangy nodded and turned back to her Count Grand fuehrer and relayed the message back. Raeburn watched closely as the man nodded and turned to leave. Without the energy Raeburn would be unable to regenerate, at this point, he could barely even keep the shape of his feet. If he didn't get Artron Engery soon, well...his brain could melt and he'd have to start all over again.

"So, where do we find Artron Energy?" Roangy asked when she returned to him.

Raeburn was sitting up, with great difficulty and leaning his head against the glass. "There is always residual Artron Energy hanging about somewhere. We just need to pinpoint a location my Tardis had recently landed in..."

"Okay, so do you have any ideas on where your Tardis would be?"

Raeburn glared at her. That was the last thing he wanted, this lot getting a hold of his time machine...or worse, the Doctor...or even more bad, Amy and Rory. He had to figure out how to stabilize with out risking those he loved. "Well, how about we start with where we are..."

"This is St. John's Monastery."

It was then, when Raeburn realized they were still on the Island. The same place where the factory was buried. Pink flushed over Raeburn's skin- solidifying with his fierce anger.

"You're bloody kidding me. You all are stupid, ridiculous little apes. You don't know anything do you? You know Bloody nothing. Were you just looking for the damn acid? Wanted to start the acid pumps once more? Then you stumbled across the flesh?!" His fury brought strength to his voice and his volume rose.

"For the record, we were looking for the flesh...And out of all the original flesh residual we found; yours was the only structure that was trying to come back." Roangy told him as she cowered from his wrath.

"So George the curious IDIOTS pick it apart and finds the Triple Helix... 'Oooh Time Lords Time Lords, lets try to clone it and see what kind of profit we can make off it, WITHOUT BLOODY KNOWING A THING ABOUT TIME LORDS TO BEGIN WITH!"

Roangy stepped back. Her brother came to her side.

"You're stupid, all of you. You set up everything just barely out of range!" Raeburn continued to yell.

"I'll have you know that we were looking for your remains, once we had realized that Cleaves had run into the Doct-" Roanby defended.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Roangy interrupted her brother. "Out of range of what?"

Raeburn looked between the pair and the rest of the scrambling scientists. "Range of where m my box had landed, 200 years ago. You find that exact place and it'll be enough to stabilize me outside of this cubicle."

Roangy and her team-Bad boss guy (who was bound to start up terribly painful experiments on him as soon as he was Time Lordy enough) had put her in charge- went to work pinpointing the exact place where the Tardis had stood, once.

"Wouldn't have dissipated by now? I mean 200 hundred years plus acid..." Roanby asked.

"Idiots the lot of you." Raeburn gloated as the Team wheeled his cubicle through the facility. "Thought' about bringing back a Time Lord with out bloody knowing a thing about us. So I get stupid and evil."

"We're not stupid-" Denied Roanby the same time Roangy had answered " We're not evil."

"Right." Responded Raeburn tersely.

Once moved to the exact place, Raeburn could feel the Artron energy, even being locked up. The energy field was weaker than he had expected and so his confidence wavered. But he didn't fight the scientists when they opened the doors and he took a shaky step out.

Eyes ever watching

Ever Dissecting

Hopes of Dark

Evil that larks

Beneath the smile

of the tethered tile

And now the final

farewell we say in

The day of the Flesh

His eyes shifted from the ice white to forest green immediately. His skin flushed and his milky disposition seeped into his flesh. He took a deep breath in fully grown Time Lord lungs. He felt his hearts beat in place and in rhythm. Even his psychic links opened and flexed in perfect working order.

"100%- no readings for the flesh- just one Time Lord." Roanby said with obvious excitement. The other scientists cheered. "He's stabilized."

"Idiots." Raeburn spat at them, causing the excitement to dull down. "This is temporary only. The ONLY reason my flesh survived for two hundred years was due to the proximity of where my blue box had once sat and its Artron residual energy. It kept me going for 200 years. But that was just a clump of cells, to keep my full form in working order, will suck this area up dry. The worst part-"

"That's not the worst part?" Raonby asked in horror.

"It'll help you wouldn't interrupt."

"Sorry."

"The worst part is the the residual Artron energy is too thin...to stabilize me. It'll work for...maybe a week. Its not going to last...I'm not going to last."

"What do you propose we do?" Roangy asked.

"We'll need a concentrated pulsation of Artron energy. Which reminds me. I don't suppose you found a little metal wand thing underneath all of this gunk. It'll look coppery and silver with green at the end...?"

"Um-" Roangy started.

"I don't think so." Roanby answered.

"Actually, we did find such a device..." One of the other scientists claimed. His name was Martin.

"Oh good...bring me that and some maps and-" Raeburn shivered suddenly in the cold and looked down and blushed. "Also some clothes would do nicely as well."


	3. Chapter 3

After one look at a map, Raeburn knew the perfect place to find some nice Artron energy floating around...So his captors began to prepare for transport. Raeburn was very thankful to one of the scientists who brought him his sonic screwdriver. He was pleased to see that it was still in working order and made sure to take it off of its high setting, he didn't want to be accidentally dissolved. He was left alone to his thoughts, a cuppa with jammy dodgers. He nearly kissed Roangy when she brought it to him. He was also given clothes.

Raeburn missed the original Doctor, his brother, his progenitor, missed him loads. Raeburn may not have the experience his brother had, a difference between remembering and experiencing, but he still felt the heartache the Doctor felt at the loss of Gallifrey. All the chatting away inside their minds, gone in the blink of an eye. Raeburn knew the Doctor felt the same as he did when they connected. The Doctor was no longer alone in the universe with his clone, no longer lost in the silence. Raeburn was missing the Doctor's endless ramblings inside of his own mind. Raeburn missed him so much and knew that if the Doctor had known he'd survive, he would help him.

Raeburn froze with his cup half way to his lips. It would be so EASY to leave a message for the Doctor. But if this group of scientists were to get a hold of the Doctor...it would be very dangerous. Raeburn could not risk the life of the Doctor to save an anomaly such as himself. He would not risk it. No...what he would do is guide these insane scientists into stabilizing himself and then he would escape...maybe even take the group down himself. He had the worst feeling that he wasn't the only test subject nearby.

"Did you know someone called Amelia Williams?"

The voice startled Raeburn and he turned to see that Roangy had reappeared. She held a book in her hands. "I'm sorry, what?" He asked before completing the journey of the cup to his lips and sipping. He was sure he hadn't heard correctly, Amelia Williams? Amelia Pond Williams...? He hoped she was safe and happy and far away from these people.

"The name, Amelia Williams, ever heard of it before?"

Raeburn tried to compose himself, but the mention of his dearest- "Where did you hear that name?"

"So you knew her?"

Raeburn ignored the past tense Roangy used. "Where. Did. You. Hear. That. Name? Tell me!"

Roangy didn't seem terribly concerned about his response, in fact it confirmed her suspicions. "She's the Author of this book, entitled Summer Falls published in 1954, New York."

Raeburn relaxed slightly, it was a coincidence...it HAD to be. "Must be a different Amelia Williams."

"Oh. Well in the prologue she mentions a Melody Malone-"

"Don't know a Melody Malone-"

"Okay, uh, she mentions her husband; Rory Williams."

Raeburn sighed and closed his eyes. There was no doubt in his hearts that Roangy was talking about his Ponds. So he turned and lashed out, trying to grab the book, but Roangy held it just out of reach.

"So you knew them?

"They were...are my friends. How did you come across that?" Raeburn asked, nodding to the book in her hands.

"Miranda Cleaves brought down Morpeth Jetsan Co after her factory...this factory melted down. She claims that a man called the Doctor along with two of his friends, Amy and Rory Williams helped her and remaining of her crew escape. She wrote it all down in her diary...it was never published, but we're friends with the current owner of her diary...Our 'friend' did lots of research on Amy and Rory Williams and found several books she had published, from the 1950s. She was convinced that it was the same Amelia Williams... The Doctor is your origin...Do you hold his memories too?"

Raeburn kept his mouth closed. He had been worried they would start grilling him for his secrets.

"Well, either way, here's the book. Its a good read. This edition has two other stories-one about Melody Malone and the other, about someone named Vastra and Straff, or something." Roangy placed the book into Raeburn's hands. And he tore into it, but he slowed when he realized that Amy was addressing him...the Doctor in the Author's note.

"Amy- Oh Amy...what happened to you?"

Raeburn finished Amy's story, Summer Falls with heavy hearts. The one problem with having the Doctor's brain was all of the ideas that swirled around in there. Theories and ideas about how his little Amelia and Rory Pond ended up in the 1950s. Amy had said that Rory was 'getting a little gray'. He closed the book and turned away, he couldn't even look at it. Was this some sort of joke? Maybe the scientists thought it would be fun to mess with his emotions...He knew that wasn't true...something had happened to his Amy and Rory. The Doctor should have saved them. Why did the Doctor abandon them? Fury sifted through him. He tried to bury it. He had other things to worry about. Like managing to get away from this terrible place.

Raeburn got to his feet and started to pace.

"Sit down XI.02"

"I beg your pardon?" Raeburn looked up, he forgot that he was in the middle of a lab with nutty scientists mucking around with his cubicle (preparing for transport they had said.)

"I said sit down Test Type XI.02" The scientist repeated. He was in his mid thirties with a thin face and short dark hair. His eyes were a dull gray.

"I am not Test type XI.02" Rage burned in Raeburn's eyes, but his face was cold.

"Excuse me?" The scientist repeated. He wore a id tag on his coat like all the others did. This idiot was called a Martin.

"I have a name, and that's not it." Raeburn announced.

"How can you have a name, you aren't really a person...just a copy."

"Right, yeah...No. Don't you even start!" He waved his arms and pointed his finger at Martin as he spoke. "Two hundred and four years ago I sacrificed my life and my brother sacrificed his trust in our most dearest friend to prove that we aren't just copies, but we're people who think and love and hate...I also have hearts, two of them. And I feel just as much as you do. And little human- it makes me ANGRY that you won't use my name."

"Well we can't call you Doctor-" Roanby chimed in.

"No- yes, you're right I agree with you there." Raeburn said, pointing his finger at Roanby.

"So-" Continued Martin.

"Call me Raeburn, Montmorency Raeburn."

Martin shook his head. "You're kidding me right? You don't get to have a name. It doesn't matter if you can feel happy or sad, you're just gunk, a bit of cells-"

"We were all jelly once." Roangy said, coming back into the room. "If he wants to have a name I think he should have a name. Besides Test Type XI.02 is really long and boring..."

"Thank you, Roangy."

"Excuse me?"

"Well I'm still filling out the paper work as Test Type XI.02" Martin declared.

Roangy was still staring at Raeburn with a confused look on her face. "That's fine Martin- What did you call me?"

Martin rolled his eyes and went back to work.

"Roane...I called you Roane." Raeburn answered back after thinking about it for a moment.

"No...you said something else, what did you call me?"

Raeburn didn't answer her, he just went back to his seat and sipped his tea...unfortunately it was empty, but that didn't stop him from trying.

"Oi no, get back here." Roangy skittered back to to his side. She took notice of his empty plate. "You're out of Jammy Dodgers..."

"So I am." Raeburn muttered.

"I'll bring you more if you tell me what you said."

Raeburn rolled his eyes and sighed. "Roangy, you're Roangy and he's Roanby." Raeburn pointed to her brother.

"You gave us nicknames..."

"Yep."

"Okay...I'm cool with nicknames...SO what was that big long thing you wanted us to call you...?"

"Montmorency Raeburn."

"Ooh nice long complicated name... I like it."

"Thank you" He answered her. He stopped trying to drink from the empty cup.

"Can I call you Monty?"

"Uh- No."

"What about Montmore"

"Definitely not."

"Rency"

"uh-uh"

"Moren? Ren!"

"No, to all. Montmorency Raeburn. I'll also accept Doctor Montmorency." Raeburn declared.

"Actually, I quite like Montmore" Declared Roanby.

"Yeah." Agreed Roangy. " It ryhmes with Doctor DOC TOR...MONT MORE"

"Montmorency" Raeburn said once more.

" Aiisha."

"I'm sorry what?"

"My name is Aiisha...not Roangy...and Abel is my twin...not Roanby...you gave us nicknames, why cant we give you a nickname?"

"That's not how-"

"I think it's perfectly fair. You shall now be forever known as Montmore."

"I don't like it."

"Good...You're not supposed to like it."


	4. Chapter 4

The trip to Cardiff was the worst. Proximity to the residual Artron Energy, left by his blue box had a major influence on Raeburn's stability. Once they had left the Island and it was out of view, Raeburn began to melt. He had wires connected to every part of him, electric surges pulsed every thirty seconds to keep his major organs alive. Every thirty seconds, electrified, to stabilize his hearts and brain and lungs, for thirty seconds. Then they'd begin to deteriorate and electricity would be sent through his body again. His screams had long gone unheard...his vocal cords had long melted. White hot energy searing through him, again and again and again. HE couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't smell, but he felt every surge of electricity, over and over again.

His mind locked onto the memory of Amelia. He had managed to finish his read of her book, Summer Falls, before the team moved out. It was fiction, but he...the Doctor had starred in it. It was a very good read, Amelia was able to talk about the Doctor in her story with out revealing any of his secrets. And she had picked out names that he/the Doctor would have liked. So in the end, he felt like his name, Montmorency was a gift from her to him.

He tried not think of how or why she published it in 1954. That was so-

_FLASH_

The electricity sent his neurons into a frenzy. He almost hoped he didn't survive this. As much as he wanted to live and find Amelia again, he wasn't sure if this pain was-

_FLASH_

Worth it...It was speeding up, every fifteen seconds now. He could feel his lungs dissolving into flesh. He was glad he couldn't see, he imagined, floating in his bath of liquid flesh, two hearts thumping wildly-

_FLASH_

Exposed brain-

_FLASH_

He was losing-

_FLASH_

Couldn't even-

_FLASH_

Think anym-

_FLASH_

And his mind stilled.

A horrible wet gasp ripped through his body. Pain exploded around him, in him, through him. He shivered and burned...and all at once he sat up. He could hear, see, smell, sense time. He was in his cubicle. He could sense the Artron Energy, it was close. The reflection of himself in his glass prison revealed his fleshy form, the milky wet, rubbery flesh was back, pale eyes stared back.

His chest hurt, his hole body did. There were wires sticking out of him, tugging on his insides. He choked in agony. A memory flashed forward, in the back of a car, his hearts thumped wildly as a wire poked through his chest. He pulled it out, the probe that had snapped off and left in his arteries.

"GAH!" He cried out, pulled back to the present. This was ultimately worse than that. There were hundreds of wires sticking to him. He tried to pull them out, but it burned and tore at him. There were too many, and the nerve endings in his fingers were numb rubber ends. They wouldn't do what his brain told them to do. Panic set it. Claustrophobia like he couldn't ever remember before. The Pandorica, that was pretty bad. He was held down, and closed into a box...for less than an hour. That was pretty terrifying, but he didn't have wires attached to his hearts and lungs and in his throat and touching his brain.

He suddenly remembered what those wires were for, shooting electricity through him. The thought of that happening now, now when his nerves were already on fire, forming and becoming strong again.

He gasped for breath, his panic over taking his hearts and lungs, his eyes flailed wildly around his cubicle. He couldn't see beyond his terrified reflection. All there was, was panicked flesh.

He screamed. He screamed out of fear, out of desperation and agony. Before when his nerves were just coming back, now they were too sensitive. A touch of skin to his flesh, burned into him. And he screamed.

"Shhhh, shh, shh. Hush, now, its okay." He turned to see a face beyond his reflection, beyond the glass, silver eyes. He screamed in horror again. "Montmore, Raeburn, its me... Its okay, you're safe..."

He yelled once more, squeezed his eyes shut.

"Montmore, please, tell me you remember me."

"It-"

"Yes?"

"It—Hurts." He whispered.

"I know, but you need to relax. Do you remember who I am?"

"Why?"

She pursed her lips. "Because if you don't remember me and the few of days where you stabilized...then we'll have to put this down in record as the twelfth-"

"Attempt, Roangy?" Raeburn gasped, remembered those days, six days in all...memories that separated him from the Doctor. He remembered them.

"You remember, good. That means we won't have to start all over."

"Are we in Cardiff, Roangy?" Raeburn panted.

"I'll answer your questions, once you lay back and relax. Agreed?"

Raeburn nodded, he let himself relax back into his rubbery bath.

Roangy smiled at his compliance. "We are very close to Cardiff...we have not yet made it to the place you pinpointed on the map. We decided to take it slow. And you are stabilizing...What we're going to do is take you back, just a bit..." She spoke quickly when she saw the panic set into his eyes. "Just so we can remove the wires, it'll be less painful for you if we remove them while you're are...less solid."

"Okay..." he panted. "Just do it quick...it...hurts." He closed his eyes in pain.

Roangy and her team were gentle. They removed the wires quickly, but precisely, almost causing no pain at all. The flesh couldn't decide if he should be a solid or a liquid, he felt like silly putty. His limbs and features wobbled like jelly. His nose slid down a couple of times and his vision turned black when his eyes sunk into his head. Thankfully his nerves were like plastic, he could barely feel a thing. And he let sleep take him. He wished he could slip into a healing coma...but he wasn't fully Time Lord yet. So he let the strange blackness take him...hoping he would wake up.

Another gasp for air wheezed into his lungs. A clean cough. His eyes jerked open. The room was hotter than he liked it. But that may have had something to do with being under several blankets. His skin was sensitive, but the materials of the sheets were kind and did not set his nerves a flame. He raised his hand up. Skin...solid skin, a pale pink. He felt his face with his new skin. Eyes, two, a nose, at least it was in the right place. Big pointy chin...well it felt right.

Carefully, testing his muscles, flexing his hands, Raeburn sat up. He was glad that he remembered his six- no seven...seven days of life, since melting himself with the sonic. His time sense was back. He had been unconscious for twenty four hours... Raeburn tested his psychic defenses, he built a solid wall around his mind, protecting himself from probes...just in case.

His room was simple, the walls were cream colored and the floor was linoleum. He pushed back the blankets...he was too hot. Though he was relieved to see that he wasn't melting, and also that someone had put him into a comfortable night shirt...at least he wasn't naked.

"Take it easy, Montmore."

He turned, surprised at his name...a gift from Amelia, voiced aloud. "Montmorency Raeburn."

"Montmore to me...simple, easy to remember."

"I take it we're in Cardiff?"

"Yes, we are about a mile from where you pinpointed the pocket of Artron Energy...We need to know how to collect it so we can channel it to you."

"I'll do a thing." Montmore told her.

"What thing?"

"A clever thing... I need my sonic back and a lab...I'll write down a list of components I'll need."

"For what?"

"So you can collect it..." Montmore told her...

"Excellent." Roangy stood up. "Then we'll start...right away..."

"Roangy...?"

"Yes?" She answered, turning back to him.

"After I'm stabilized...permanently...what's the plan?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your team...brought me back, saved me. What is going to happen next?"

"I don't-" Roangy bit her lip... "I- Well we're helping you, you'll help us...we'll become good friends and we'll change the world together."

Raeburn was silent. He knew he was going to be used...Did Roangy know what was intended for him?

"Wait here, I'll get you set up with a lab...we've got another meeting before we can get you working...someone will be through to give you some food...Also, you might find this interesting..." Roangy plopped down a folder in front of Raeburn. On the cover, Amelia Pond Williams was scrawled across it.

Raeburn gaped at the words, almost terrified to look into it...and discover what the...the...the Doctor had done to her. Fury took hold. The Doctor always felt guilty when taking a new companion on board...and the guilt was eating away at him when he realized that Amy was flesh. Raeburn couldn't hate the Doctor too long...he knew that he himself was also the Doctor...he feared that whatever had happened...he probably would have done the same.

He barely heard Roangy's footsteps as she left his room. He stroked the letters that spelled out her name. And then he opened it.

It was Amelia's life story. Of course there were gaps, gaps that Raeburn knew was thanks to the Doctor. But then the date jumped from 2011 to 1954, marking Amelia's first published book Summer Falls. It mentioned Amy and Rory's son Anthony-. Raeburn closed the file, wiping the tears from his eyes. Why did the Doctor abandon them in the 1950s? In New York...why? Fury took hold of his hearts...His plan had been to become a person, become stabilized and then as promised 'nick the Doctor's biscuits'. That was his plan. He really was going to do that. He knew the Doctor wouldn't be entirely thrilled to have Raeburn aboard the Tardis. But he did know that he would be a very useful asset to the Doctor.

Fury burned that plan to dust. The Doctor had left Amy and Rory to die. He abandoned them. Raeburn had every intention to save them and to protect them. Once he was stable...and brought down the weird scientisty people...he was going to save Amy... And Rory.


	5. Chapter 5

Determined to become stabilized, Raeburn worked. He fiddled and he tweaked. He worked for 12 hours straight, barely resting to drink a cuppa and munch on jammy dodgers. Despite Roangy being on the wrong side, she was swiftly becoming his favorite person. After wiring in the last wire he came to a stop. He was tired...but soon...very soon. He would see Amelia again.

"This is it?" Roangy asked with obvious excitement.

"Take it to these coordinates, it'll collect enough to sustain me. Easy as that."

"You are brilliant."

"Well...yeah." Raeburn gave a half smile.

"Well I guess I'll be off to collect some Artron Energy...You look worn out...you should go rest...take a break from the Jammy Dodgers."

"Not going to happen. But I think I'll go for a rest..."

"You need it."

"Right."

Roangy took the device and left the lab. Raeburn nodded to his guard...Roangy insisted they were there to help him...just in case...but Raeburn wasn't quite so naïve. His guard took him to his room and Raeburn plopped down onto his bed and closed his eyes.

He barely had them closed for a minute when four scientists entered his room without warning. Raeburn's eyes flashed open and he sat up. "What-?"

Martin, Roanby and Grand Fuhrer and another scientist, Raeburn didn't know, approached him.

"Can I help you good sirs?" Raeburn had a bad feeling.

They didn't speak to him. Dr. Roane nodded to the other three and they pulled Raeburn up and restrained him.

"What are you doing?" Raeburn demanded. But they were silent.

"It is time." Dr. Roane told him.

"No, but Roangy just left, she shouldn't be back for another hour." Raeburn announced.

"Not for that. You are stable...and you will remain stable as long as you are within Cardiff...Our use for you can be operated right here...there is no reason for us to permanently stabilize you...yet."

"No." Raeburn struggled, but he was held tightly.

"It is time for you to help us change the world." With that Dr. Roane left the room, while the other three dragged the struggling Time Lord from his room and into another lab. In the center of the room was a table, a table with straps.

Raeburn bucked and tried to get free, but he was tired and the three who held him were strong. "Roanby, don't do this. Please!" he begged, but Roanby didn't answer him. Raeburn was dragged to the table and forced down, while Dr. Roane strapped his flailing limbs. He continued his struggle, panted for air and tried not to panic.

Sweat rolled off of his body as they scanned him. They left him in his pants. His body jerked involuntary when he saw the scalpel.

"Please don't do this." Raeburn's voice was a whisper. He tried not to let panic set in.

He was ignored and Dr. Roane cut into his flesh. He pulled back Raeburn's flesh to expose the muscle. The other scientists poked, prodded, picked and pulled at his insides. Raeburn moaned, wishing for the Doctor to arrive and save him. He choked in pain when Dr. Roane cut pieces of muscle off. After an hour Dr. Roane nodded to the others, "Alright, seal him up."

They put his flesh together and used a tool to mend the incisions, leaving no trace of their intrusion. But they offered no analgesics. Raeburn was convinced that Dr. Roane enjoyed causing Raeburn pain. He didn't show it or break his 'professionalism'. But the least he could have done was to knock him out...

Dr. Roane took the pieces of muscle he cut from Raeburn and left the lab, with Raeburn still strapped to the table. Martin and Roanby cleaned the droplets of blood and sweat left behind.

"If you want to get some sleep before your next session, now is the time." Roanby told him.

"Going to just leave me here?" Raeburn whispered. He was so tired. He tried to control the pain in his chest, but he couldn't focus. He was just too tired.

"Yeah, after you donate some blood." Martin sneered.

"What?" He closed his eyes. He couldn't help it.

"Just go to to sleep Montmore." Roanby told him. "It'll be over soon."

That was a lie. But he was too tired, he couldn't even struggle when they took his blood.

He slowly opened his eyes. The pain in his chest was reduced, but he was very weak. He didn't even need to see the bags of blood they carted away, he already knew they had taken too much. They were greedy, this lot.

He didn't have any energy to waste as they removed the straps. They put him in a wheelchair, his head slopped to the side, his hearts pounded wildly. They wheeled him down the hall and into his room. Martin left with a snicker, but Roanby helped Raeburn to his bed.

"Where is Roangy?" Raeburn whispered.

"You won't be seeing her again. Grandfather said that she got too close to you. He's afraid she'll lose her nerve. He won't risk allowing you two to spend anymore time together, he's sent her on a new project anyway."

Raeburn gulped, his throat was so dry. "Kindness is not a weakness."

"You say that, but do you really believe it? We are trying to change the world, and there is a price to pay. There is always a price to pay. You just happen to be it. I'm sorry, but there isn't any other way."

"No, there's always a way...always a way out."

"Where would you go? Your life happened two hundred years ago. Even if you did leave here...which you would be unable to leave Cardiff, y'know. You won't be fully stabilized until you have that 'surge of Artron Energy thing...What are going to do?"

"Go back to the 1950s." Raeburn muttered, but Roanby didn't hear him.

"You aren't going to go anywhere. You are going to stay here and help us. Now, get some sleep, next session we're going to check out your binary cardiovascular system, the boys are super psyched about that."

"No-" Raeburn moaned, but Roanby was already out the door.

He closed his eyes only for a second, it was enough to send him back to dreamless sleep. Light footsteps brought him back to the surface. His eyes lids were heavy and he was still tired. But someone was at his door. He wanted to run. But he was so tired. Someone opened his door. Someone was getting closer. He could hear them breathing as the came right up to the side of his bed. He braced himself- ready to be grabbed or maybe drugged.

Nothing happened. When nothing happened, he managed to open his eyes.

"Roangy" He whispered, relieved to see a friendly face.

"Are you okay?" She asked him. Her hand touched his forehead. Roangy's hand was cold...that was wrong. But he was so tired he couldn't remember why.

"I'm okay." He lied. "They took my blood...that can't happen. Its too dangerous."

"I'm sorry they took so much...I just came to bring you a cup of tea...and I sneaked in some jammy Dodgers..."

"No...- Roangy!" He grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving. "Please, they're going to hurt me. But you can stop them...You can help me."

"I can't, I'm sorry."

"No, you can, did you collect the Artron Energy-?"

"I'm sorry Montmore. I can't help you. We brought you back so you can help us in advancing the medical field...if that means removing your hearts to save people, then that is what I will do. I don't want you hurt...but I am trying to change the world!"

Raeburn let go of her. "Taking my hearts won't do you any good. Mucking around with a Time Lord's body is dangerous! Anything could happen. This is not the way you change the world. You'll regret this... all of it. Please, if anything you'll lose your humanity."

"I have to do what I can for my family and for the world, I'm sorry Montmore...I really am, but I will show that you do not weaken me." With that she turned and left him alone.


	6. Chapter 6

He struggled again, the whole time. He would not just sit still while they made him a guinea pig. He fought them and bit Martin. Life was not supposed to be like this. Life was not supposed to be treated like this. He swore to each and every one of them, they would be sorry. They would regret doing this. But they just laughed at him. "We're the ones who brought you back, be grateful, flesh!"

He looked to Roanby and Roangy in hopes of getting some sympathy, but to his surprise...they weren't event here. He freed his arm and knocked someone to the floor. He pulled free and tumbled away. He moved to the door and dodged passed the guard. He was barefoot and in only his pants, but he ran. He opened a door, hoping it was a way out. But right away he could tell...It wasn't the way out. Raeburn had managed to enter into another lab. Where he was standing the light was dim, but in the center of the room the lights blazed brightly. There was a woman laying on an operating table. There were tubes running in and out of her body. Raeburn couldn't see her face, but her hair was impossibly long and black. His eyes moved to the scientists surrounding her, their hands were bloody while holding scalpels and picks.

"What is this-?" Raeburn asked in horror. "What you have done?"

A voice pushed against the wall Raeburn had built in his mind. _Go Away, get out, get out GET OUT!_ The voice in his head roared at him. Raeburn fell to his knees, his head felt like it was going to explode.

"Stop it!" Raeburn yelled, holding his head in his hands. The voice quieted and turned to muttering whispers. _Get out, Get out. _

A huge weight slammed into Raeburn sending sprawling to the floor, the wind knocked out of him. His hands were being bound behind him and he was being dragged away. But he held onto the voice in his head. _Who are you?_ But the voice didn't answer back. Her voice faded and his mind was silenced.

They brought him back to his own table and successfully strapped him down. "I'll get you back for that." Martin sneered at him, his nose was bloodied up. Raeburn didn't doubt his words. He just braced himself for the pain that was bound to follow. They were talking amongst themselves. They were touching him, his chest, explaining to each other on what it looked like beneath his skin.

"We're going to find out today, if a Time Lord can survive with only a single heart."

Raeburn held himself, he would not allow himself to panic. But he knew...this was really going to hurt. With a strangled cry, his right heart came to a sudden stop. The scientists watched the monitors closely. Raeburn panted for air as his left heart worked over time. "Please" He begged, but the scientists were clapping and celebrating. "Please!" He spoke louder, trying get their attention. "I won't survive long like this!"

He gasped as his left heart stuttered. He worked to calm himself down. He would be able to manage one heart if he could just calm down. As long as he didn't exert himself he would be okay. He winced, his chest felt like there was a horse sitting on him. He closed his eyes. Maybe if he went to sleep he could keep the pain at bay.

A hand flew across his face causing him to jolt awake. He'd only had them closed for two minutes. Martin laughed at Raeburn's startled expression. And he had just managed to calm himself down. He took a deep breath to try and find his calm again.

"Nope, no sleeping." Declared Martin. Raeburn looked to where he was restrained. He was surprised to see them undoing the straps. After all of this, dragging him and pushing him down corridors, binding his hands and pushing him in a wheelchair...they were going to make him walk on his own. "Get up, flesh. We're going back to your room for a bit."

"You're kidding right?" Raeburn asked him. "You damage a major organ and then you expect me to skip-" He paused, his chest was burning. "To skip merrily down the hall?"

"Well to be honest I was expecting more than this." One of the other scientists told him. Raeburn's vision was blurring, but he managed to read the name...Franklin. "I thought with two hearts you'd be able to do more than mope when one of them stopped working."

"I'm a Time Lord, you idiot." Raeburn growled at him. "I'm not just simply a human with am extra heart on hand. I'm completely different. How would you like it if I punched out one of your major organs?" He grunted, his left heart was beating too fast again.

"Either way, its time to go back to your room. Dr. Roane said to walk you there." Franklin told him.

Raeburn made no move to get up. "Do you want me to have a double heart attack...?"

"Get a move on!" Martin yelled.

Raeburn didn't move. "What is the point of this test? You've knocked out one...to see if I'll live or not...congrats, still alive...But what is the point in making me go back to my room...can't you monitor me from here?"

"By walking from here to there we'll be able to see how much you can function with a single heart...if you can't even make it to your room then there won't be a point to the other tests."

"What other tests?"

"Like running...climbing, fighting...that sort of thing."

Raeburn caught Martin's glare. "This conversation is irrelevant. Its time for you to get a move on, flesh."

"No. I'm not going to walk down that damn hall." Raeburn answered back.

"Okay fine stay here. We'll see how well your system functions with one heart cut out." Martin turned back towards him with a scalpel. Raeburn glanced at the scalpel, but his gaze turned back to Franklin when he spoke.

"That wasn't Dr. Roane's orders..." Franklin warned.

"I don't care-" Martin stepped closer to Raeburn.

Raeburn still didn't move. He watched Martin carefully and he knew Martin would follow Dr. Evil's rules. He wouldn't cut out his heart until he was ordered to. Though, Raeburn figured that may be the next step in these 'testings'...Raeburn really didn't want walk down that hall and he would put it off for as long as he could. Raeburn forced himself to remain still, he would not flinch and he was sure he would win this power game against Martin.

Martin inched the scalpel closer to Raeburn's skin. Martin was watching Raeburn's unwavering expression. Raeburn didn't break eye contact, he didn't flinch, nor show any fear. Then he swung his fist up and punched Martin in the face...again. Martin slipped to the floor, completely stunned this time. Martin had forgotten that he had undone Raeburn's bonds. Raeburn sat up, grunting at the horrible pain.

"I don't suppose you could restart my heart?" Raeburn asked Franklin. Franklin was staring wide eyed at his colleague.

"Um, no, I'll get into trouble with Dr. Roane...lets just get you back to your room..."

Raeburn sighed, he really didn't want to walk down that hall. But he would rather be tortured by Franklin than by Martin...Franklin had the potential of changing sides. He tried not to think about Roangy. Raeburn slowly got to his feet. He wobbled, but Franklin helped him to the hall. The moment they reached the hall Franklin stopped being helpful. He said something about 'you have to do this part on your own'. But Raeburn's hearing was turning to static with the pain. The hall warped and stretched before him. His vision was going funny. Franklin nudged him forward. Raeburn waddled carefully down the hall. With each step he felt the ground shift. His room seemed so far away. With each thud of his overworked heart a sharp pain seized his chest. Raeburn had to pause and lean against the walls more than once.

"Please" He begged when he had paused for the fifth time. "Please-" He panted. "I can't survive much longer like this."

"We won't let you die." Franklin assured.

Raeburn strained forward. It was getting dark around the edges of his vision...There was no way he could make it and even if he did, there would be no reward, just more painful tests involving stopping his hearts for so called science. He took another six steps and then sagged to his knees.

"I can't make it."

"What if there was a bomb in your room that would take out all of Cardiff...and only you could disarm it...?" Raeburn glared up at Franklin. "I've heard a lot about the Doctor and all the amazing things he's done. Like he saved the whole of Earth from the year of the slow invasion...that was one of my favorites."

"Is their a point to this?" Raeburn panted.

"Well yeah, it was said that the Doctor had only the use of one of his hearts and he managed to get quite a lot done..."

"I don't know this story...must have happened after my birth..."

"You were never born..."

"Created, born...same thing..."

"No...no it isn't." Raeburn panted and opened his mouth to bicker some more but Franklin interrupted him. "Anyway, bomb in your room, only you can disable it."

"There isn't a bomb in my room."

"But pretend."

"No."

Franklin sighed. "I don't want to hurt you..."

"Then don't hurt me." Raeburn's position on the floor was becoming very comfortable, he was just on the verge of giving up and sleeping, right there on the floor.

"No, they'll know you didn't put all of your effort into this test...They'll make you do it again later, probably with more...disabilities...They told me to zap you if didn't put any effort into it." Franklin fumbled with a taser.

"Great" Raeburn muttered. So he pushed himself up and moved forward. Raeburn didn't make it to his room. He collapsed just inches before the doorway.

"GAH!" He suddenly cried out- arching his back with the agony. A few deep breaths and he realized his right heart had been started back up. The relief was so refreshing he dropped back off to sleep. He slept for two hours. When he awoke he found himself in his bed. A cup of tea and a whole box of jammy dodgers sat on a tray next to him.

Tea and Jammy Dodgers were not going to make him feel better. And it would not make up for all the needless pain he was suffering. But he was hungry. So he drank the tea and ate the biscuits. They went a long way for helping him regain his strength.

When there was nothing left of the biscuits he forced himself up from the bed. His whole body was sore and his chest felt heavy. But he was not going to just sit idly by and let them do that to him again. He would find a way to fight them, or get out.

He really didn't need to check the door. He knew it would be locked. But Franklin seemed stupid enough...there was a chance...(Well someone remembered to lock it.) He went on to inspect his room. It was more bare than he remembered. There was only his bed, a wooden chair and a tray (for his tea). There was also a small room attached that held the loo, a mirror and a sink. He leaned heavily on the sink to look at himself in the mirror.

He was tired, he could see dark circles appearing under his eyes. He was also pale...so pale that he could almost see his flesh form surfacing. He really needed to be permanently stabilized. He would be unable to leave Cardiff until that was managed. If he managed to escape now, he wouldn't be able to get very far. He would have to find new components to make a new converter, like the one he made for Roangy. That would take a lot of time...And chances were that this lot would find him before he could complete it. Not to mention the woman who was also trapped here. With whatever he did, he couldn't just leave her with these insane psychos.

Raeburn inspected the glass, beyond his own reflection. His eyes widened ever so slightly and his lip curled in disgust. This was a two way mirror. Raeburn stepped away from it and turned back to his room. There was a single window with white curtains. But upon further examination, also discovered the window was false.

_If you can find a way- Get out._

The words flitted across his consciousness.

"Whose there?!" Raeburn called out.

_Get out, Get Out GET OUT!_

The words screeched across his mind and he tumbled back to the floor with his fingers in his ears. The voice repeated the command and each syllable sent another sharp pain through his head. "Please stop!" He cried out. "I can't help you if you scramble my brain!"

His door suddenly flew open and standing there was Roanby. "Montmore?" He asked when he saw that Raeburn was alone.

All at once the voice in Raeburn's head came to a stop, giving him peace at last. His hands dropped from his head and to the ground. "Roanby...?"

"What was all of that yelling about? Was someone else in here?" Roanby glanced around the empty room.

Raeburn pushed himself to his feet. "No, just me."

"Oh good, I was worried that Martin was torturing you."

"You mean more than he already has?"

"Franklin told me what happened. Martin was not following orders, he got what he deserved."

"And what do you think you deserve?" Raeburn asked him.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you're just as guilty as the rest of them. Not following orders is one thing, but what about holding people against their will? Wait a minute I got this, I'm flesh, I don't count. But I saw a woman down the hall, with long black hair...Or is she flesh too?"

Roanby looked away from Raeburn for a moment and then looked back. "We are changing the world. That woman has been alive for over two thousand years. Her DNA could be the key to stopping death!"

"Death is a natural order of life. Death is necessary. As much as it pains me to say it, its true. All things must come to an end! You have no right to muck with these sorts of things. Its going to get you killed..."

"I'm surprised with you, Montmore. From what we've heard you and the 'Doctor' are the last of the Time Lords. I assumed you would want to bring back your race."

"What do you mean by that?" Raeburn's harsh expression became muddled.

"We're going to bring back Time Lords, we have plenty of your cells to do that."

"You're going clone me..." Raeburn was incredulous.

"Bringing back the Time Lords."

Raeburn shook his head. "No, this is a very bad idea...very, very not good."

"You don't want to have your own people again?"

Raeburn leapt up and grabbed hold of Roanby shirt. "Look at what you people are doing to me. Taking my blood, cutting off pieces of my own muscle...Torturing me in the name of science. You try and create some new Time Lords...My enemies will rip you apart to get to them...You wouldn't be bringing back my people...they would only ever be seen as test subjects!"

"Let go"

"No- You have to understand."

"Montmore let go now." Several others had gathered around the doorway and so Raeburn released him.

"I will stop you. If it is the last thing I do, I will stop you."

Roanby looked back at Raeburn, almost sadly. He looked back to the men in the doorway. "We're ready to test the other heart."

Raeburn sighed, resigned and tired. "Really, what is there left for you to test...Yes if you stop one the other will compensate... Neither is more powerful than the other..."

The men in the hall ignored Raeburn's rants. They ignored him when he yelled and they dragged him back to the lab. Of course Raeburn fought them. But someone had replaced Martin, he was a big burly man and the others referred to him as Claude. Raeburn didn't manage to sock anyone in the face this time.

"I'm getting really tired of these straps." Raeburn mouthed off. He knew what was coming, but he couldn't stop his gob this time. "You know, this would be a lot easier for everyone if you'd just knock me out while you did this..."

"What would be the fun in that?" Claude said with a smile.

Before he could answer, a surge of electrical shock was sent into his left heart, bringing it to a complete stop in mid beat. "Rah!" Raeburn cried out. He tried really, really hard to stay calm. But the other scientists laughed at him. His eyes sought out Roanby, when he did; Raeburn found his expression to be guilt ridden. Raeburn really hoped that there was the chance to get Roanby to switch sides. Then again, he remembered Roangy.

Raeburn whimpered when Claude pulled him from the table. There was no way he could fight the large man and survive. His left heart out of action and once again he was forced to walk down the hall. The large man walked behind Raeburn. Claude would push him forward anytime Raeburn tried to rest. When his legs finally buckled and gave out, Claude dragged him back to his room by his hair. Raeburn struggled to follow. When they made it to his room, Claude shoved him to the floor. Raeburn allowed gravity to take him down and he laid in a crumpled heap on the floor. He worked on being as still as possible, as calm as possible. He could barely get the air to his lungs. Claude laughed at him once more before slamming the door shut.

"Montmore."

The voice startled him and sent his right heart into a stuttering beat and he groaned at the pain it caused him. He didn't try to find a face to the voice. He hurt too much. Small hands pushed him over onto his back and he whimpered. He opened his eyes and saw Roangy looking down at him.

"I'm so sorry Montmore."

He closed his eyes, he couldn't bare to look at her.


	7. Chapter 7

Roangy put something smooth and cold onto his chest and it sent a powerful shock into his chest. Raeburn yelled as his left heart jolted back into rhythm. He ignored Roangy's shushing as she took the defibrillator paddles off of him. He complied and relaxed, ready to sleep again.

"No, Montmore stay awake!" Roangy whispered loudly. She tried to pull him up into a sitting position, but he slouched, he really just wanted to sleep. "Montmore!" Raeburn didn't respond to her efforts, but when she slapped him across the face his eyes flashed opened.

"Roangy- what?" He was having difficulty focusing on her blurred face.

"Montmore, we don't have a lot of time. I'm sorry about earlier, I really am, I didn't know anything and you were right about everything." Raeburn nodded as he tried to keep his eyes open. "Montmore, this is our best chance to get out of here." With the promise of escape he nodded and focused in on Roangy. "I've also got this." Roangy put into Raeburn's weakening hands the converter. "I took it to the pocket you pinpointed...just like you said...How do we channel it to you?"

"Back up..." Raeburn warned. Roangy scooted back. Raeburn looked at her. "A bit more." Roangy stood up and moved to the opposite wall. Raeburn nodded to her and then fiddled with his machine. A golden tendril of lightening lashed out from the box hitting Raeburn in the chest. He really wished he could just walk into the Tardis, that would have been much simpler...and less painful.

"Montmore?" Roangy asked, thoroughly concerned.

There was no way Raeburn could answer her, he was working very hard not to scream. A second bolt of energy hit him in the face. The energy seared through his whole body, lighting him up. Everything felt like it was on fire. He gave in and screamed as the energy tore at him. Then his whole body gave out and he slumped. The lightening fizzled out and he released the converter.

"Montmore!" Roangy dropped down next to him, checking his pulse.

"I'm okay" Coughed Raeburn. But he couldn't bring himself to move.

"Did it work?"

"I think so."

Roangy tried to bring him back up to sitting, but he was too wobbly. "Can't you move at all?" Roangy asked, trying to steady him.

Raeburn flexed his hands, opening and closing them. "Yeah...I'm good."

"Okay, you made a lot of noise, we've got to get out of here—fast."

"Okay"

"Can you stand?"

"Yes."

Roangy helped him when he wobbled. But instead of walking him to the door she set him down onto his bed. "I've got clothes for you." Roangy pulled a bag out from under the bed and set out clothes for him.

"Can't go walking through Mordor, but in your skin."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Nothing, just had a thought." Raeburn quickly dressed. He flexed his hands, already he was becoming stronger, the dose of Artron energy was exactly what he needed. When he was dressed, in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a jacket and shoes (He really missed his bow tie), Roangy led him out of his room. She led him down the hall, making many turns (Two lefts, a right and then a left) and then up a set of stairs.

"How big is this building? I thought coming to Cardiff was on a whim, how did you lot score all of this?" Raeburn asked, the stairs seemed to go on forever.

"Most of our buildings have at least three underground levels. We also have at around a dozen facilities within Great Britain." Roangy told him with pride.

"So burning this place would just be cutting a head off of the hydra."

Roangy stopped and turned on him, "You can't burn the facility down!"

Raeburn stopped and looked at her closely, "I thought you were on my side. This place is evil and it has to go. I saw what they did to that woman. There are other victims here, aren't there? I won't stand by and let innocent people be tortured and experimented on."

"You can't-"

"I will not allow these experiments to continue. There are so many laws this facility is breaking on Earth and off of Earth. I will bring justice here."

"But-"

"No buts, you just better make sure you know whose side you are on...Now, where is the exit?"

Roangy bit her lip. Raeburn watched her carefully, he could see that she was thinking about changing her mind. "You decided what they were doing to me was wrong...Why?"

"The pain they were putting you through was unnecessary, they already proved that one heart was enough to keep you alive, there was no need to repeat the test on the second heart. And the samples they collected from you won't do us any good as they'll deteriorate once they leave the radius of the Artron Energy pocket. So they'll have to retake the samples from you. On top of everything, they took samples while you were conscious and didn't bother to record how well you tolerated the pain."

"Okay, and why did you decide to help me now?"

"What they were doing to you was wrong, and it had nothing to do with helping the rest of the worlds. But my family, I don't want you to hurt them."

"I'm an active believer in second chances, Roangy, And I'll give your family the chance to make the right choice."

Roangy still hesitated, "Promise?"

"I promise and I always keep my promises."

Roangy gave him a small smile. "Thank you." She looked to the stairs before them. "Just one more floor and we'll be able to get out!" She told him with obvious excitement. They raced up and just as she promised the glorious glowing red sign that read EXIT came into view. But just as they reached the landing, the exit door opened. Claude stepped through the door, a large smile on his face.

"Okay now would be a good time for a plan B" Raeburn said as they backed away from the large man."

But turning back, they could see others running up the steps towards them.

"We can't go back."

"Okay, a plan B...would be good now."

"Aiisha, what are you doing?" Dr. Roane demanded. Roangy and Raeburn turned back to see Dr. Roane pushing past his minions. Roangy looked terrified and when she looked to Raeburn for help, he just watched her. She knew he was giving her the choice to do the right thing, or swap sides. She took a deep breath.

"I'm getting this man out of here before you cause him any more harm!"

Claude laughed loudly and Roangy worked very hard to ignore him. Roanby came to Dr. Roane's side. "Aiisha, you know what we are doing is for the greater good!" Roanby told her.

Roangy laughed without humor, 'The greater good, No Abel. What they are doing to him is not for the greater good."

"We're going to change the world, Aiisha."

But she shook her head. "They did inconclusive tests on him, just for the sake of doing it. If Grandfather had any real interest in the samples he collected from Raeburn he would have had him become permanently stabilized first. You take those samples out of Cardiff now and I promise you they'll revert back to the flesh. They aren't doing it for science, but to please their own sick tastes." She glanced at Claude who was blocking the exit.

"What?" Roanby asked, but Dr. Roane interrupted him.

"Aiisha, we told you he would get to you. You've lost your nerve. You are no better than Cassandra Ulryuru. You will be suspended until further notice...I will not allow you to to taint our name, I have worked too damn hard to restore it to its former glory for screw ups like you. "

Roangy moved in front of Raeburn and stretched her arms out. "I won't surrender Montmore to you, you can't be trusted with him."

Raeburn didn't miss the slight nod of Dr. Roane's head. But before Claude to respond to the order, Raeburn lunged at him (hoping to knock him out of the way.) The large man didn't fall, he pushed Raeburn back. Raeburn latched onto Claude's arms, but he had cleared the exit. "Roangy, run!"

Roangy turned around to see Raeburn wrestling with Claude. She hesitated, she wasn't going to leave without him. Her hesitation was a mistake. Roanby grabbed her from behind and restrained her. Two others helped him keep her immobile. The remaining minions raced to help Claude with Raeburn. Roangy screamed as they knocked Raeburn to the ground.

Raeburn fought with all of his might, but there was no winning this battle. There were too many people and Roangy was being dragged away. A blow to his gut made him release Claude and a misfired punch landed squarely on the nerve bundle under his left shoulder dropped him to the ground with a yell. Then the next thing he knew, he was being pulled up by his arms and held in place. His captors turned him so that he was facing Dr. Roane. He panted for air, his shoulder still sang with pain. Even as they dragged Roangy down the steps he could hear her fighting and screaming...and then all at once her voice stopped. (He tried not to think about what that could mean.)

"I think its back to the lab with you." Dr. Roane said, looking particularly cruel. Dr. Roane stepped close to Raeburn, invading his space. He touched Raeburn's face. Raeburn jerked and so Dr. Roane painfully grabbed his jaw. "You will not try to escape again, Flesh."

"I'm not flesh anymore you stupid ape!"

The surprise was visible on Dr. Roane's face. "Oh, I see, so Aiisha is more clever than she looks. Being a real person now won't save you...Because now we have flesh samples to compare to Time Lord samples." Dr. Roane patted Raeburn's cheek with his free hand. Raeburn spat at him. Dr. Roane released him, just so he could free his hand to slap Raeburn across the face. Pain exploded before his eyes. Raeburn looked passed the spots with contempt. Dr. Roane turned back to his minions. "Take him back to the lab...I want everyone ready in twenty minutes," He smiled down at Raeburn, "For a closer inspection of his lungs."

The group all answered back with 'Yes sir's. Dr. Roane moved to the side and let the parade of people holding Raeburn force him back down the steps. Raeburn fought the whole way. Looking for ways to trip up his captors. But each trick he tried earned him a smack to the back of his head or a kick to his legs. By the time they made it back to the familiar corridor, Raeburn was barely walking. His legs were forming bruises, his arms ached from being jerked behind him and a headache was starting up. When they finally reached the lab they stripped him of the clothes Roangy had given him, leaving him once more in his pants. What they had done so far to Raeburn had been child's play. He could already tell, everything was about to get exceedingly worse.

This time the lab was filled with twelve scientists. Raeburn recognized them as the first team who took care of him when he first woke in the cubicle. Well they were missing Roangy and Roanby. Raeburn noticed they were replaced with two scientists he hadn't seen before. One was a mean looking man and the other was a pale faced girl. Raeburn watched her. The girl looked much to young to be a scientist, her appearance came across as about 15 or 16 years old. She had long black messy hair that hid her eye brows, but her bright green eyes peered through. She watched Raeburn closely. A sudden chill settled in Raeburn's mind. He couldn't understand what it was about the girl that made him so nervous. Yes, he was very concerned about what these people were going to do to him, but he had a feeling...An inkling, that he didn't want to have to go up against that girl.

The group x-rayed him and took photos, successfully hiding the green eyed girl's presence from him. The team then took to placing wire and monitors over his torso and forehead, after they restrained him of course. They monitored his hearts and his breathing. Raeburn's eyes searched the lab for the green eyed girl, but he couldn't find her. When he tuned back in to the scientists, (whom were all in a hustle, taking notes, setting up cameras, watching the monitors, etc.) they were all excited about his lungs, pointing out that he was missing a lobe of lung. Raeburn rolled his eyes.

"What part of 'not human' do you not get?" He spat at them. A couple of them looked surprised that Raeburn could speak. Raeburn knew that most the people here saw him as an animal without conscience and intellect. The scientists went back to discussing his lungs without responding to Raeburn's comment. Then all at once the room went silent. Raeburn lifted his head to see Dr. Roane returning with a folder.

"Good afternoon, Flesh."

"I'm a Time Lord now, moron." Raeburn answered. He pulled at the straps.

Dr. Roane ignored him and continued as he stepped closer to the table Raeburn was stranded on. He opened the folder and looked at handwritten notes. "Is there anything you want to tell me about a Time Lord's Respiratory System...?"

"Why would I tell you anything?"

"Well for one, it'll stop us from poking around unnecessarily and accidentally damaging you. I heard that the Doctor ran into a bit of an accident back in the 90's." Raeburn really didn't want to think about that. "We wouldn't want a similar incident repeating itself, now would we?" Raeburn clamped his mouth shut. He wasn't going to play Dr. McEvil's game. "Either way, we happen to have an expert on hand. She was able to give us some information-"

"Who?" So much for not playing games.

"Speaking now, that's good."

"What do you mean, expert, who do you have here?"

"I don't think you really want to know. Either way she's mentioned an interesting trait among Time Lords." Dr. Roane was looking at his colleges now. "Time Lords have something called a Respiratory Bypass System, I am very interested in seeing this work first hand. And if we could replicate the ability with our Type D's then I'll give everyone a raise."

The group cheered. But Raeburn wasn't worried about them...well he was quite concerned about the pain he was going to go through...But he could take pain. He could live through the pain. What had him racking the Doctor's brain was...What Time Lord expert was here? What female Time Lord expert was there? Raeburn thought of all of his companions and did remind himself that this was a good three hundred years after the time of Sarah Jane, Martha Jones and many of his good friends from Earth(Not to mention Rose, who was trapped in a distant land.). If this lot had gotten hold of U.N.I.T.'s old records or maybe even Torchwood(even though all of that should have been buried and burned) there was the possibility of them finding something on the Doctor/ Time Lords. Jack Harkness knew too much, but Dr. Roane had said 'she', so it probably wasn't the Captain.

A sinking feeling rooted up in the pit of Raeburn's stomach. _Professor River Song. _Could she be behind this? Could she know about him, the Flesh Doctor...? Raeburn didn't know who she was. Someone from the Doctor's, from his future. In prison for someone's murder...? What if She was the one who killed the Doctor and now she was here to finish the copy off? Raeburn shook his head, there were too many things that he didn't know. He would save those theories when he had more information...

His train of the thought was disrupted when suddenly plastic wrap was being forced over his nose and mouth. He tried to turn away, and sink his teeth into somebody's hand, arm, limb...anything to get free. But hands held him still and his face was covered. Breathing quickly became impossible. He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see the glee in Dr. Roane's eyes. Being unable to fight the straps and the hands holding his head down he tried to relax and allow his bypass system activate. Within moments of his airways being blocked, oxygen was sent to brain. Raeburn mustered forth all the patience he could find and he remained still, waiting for the scientists to get bored.

Raeburn choked and coughed when they finally removed the plastic. The stars danced before his eyes. The scientists scrambled to write down the results and to check the monitors. Raeburn just laid there, hoping that they weren't going to do that again. That was highly unlikely, but still...he hoped. He ignored their voices of excitement over his Respiratory Bypass and he knew what was coming next. He closed his eyes, he was a Time Lord now, he could so very easily slip into a healing coma.

He flinched at a painful pinch on the inner side of his arm. His eyes snapped open. A minion was injecting something into his arm. The drug coursed through his veins leaving a trail of fire. It sent his hearts into an irregular pace. He closed his eyes again, but now...there was no way he could focus, no way he could calm his hearts and sleep. His body sweated, trying to get rid of the drug. He clenched his jaw shut. He saw the gleeful look in the insane eyes of Dr. Roane. His body twitched as it burned and Dr. Roane smiled. Raeburn had every intention to make Dr. Roane burn as he burned.


	8. Chapter 8

Raeburn wasn't sure how much more of this he could handle. He thought that they would mess with him for a while and then dump him back into his room. But he had been left in the same position for six hours straight. Sure the scientists would get tired and they'd leave, but others replaced them, starting up where they left off. And they kept him awake, through all of it. No anesthesia, no analgesics, conscious while they poked and prodded and cut. Raeburn thought of the woman on the operating table. He had hoped she wasn't conscious through all of that...But from the look of things, she probably wasn't offered anything to dull the pain either.

Raeburn had not seen the green-eyed girl and there was no communicating with these people. Any time that he tried to speak only earned him more pain. After the first suffocation, they repeated the act each time a new minion came in, just to show off his bypass system. Then they decided that they needed samples of his lungs and tissues of his skin. Raeburn had several places up and down his arms and legs with large gaping holes where pieces of tissue had been cut away. His chest hurt where they did the lung biopsy. All of it was done while he was conscious. He was given another drug during those procedures, it made his body heavier than lead. He had hoped that it would dull the pain, Raeburn was getting tired of having his hope being cut to pieces. He felt every slice of pain, but he couldn't scream or move.

Then Martin came back. Raeburn wanted Martin dead. Martin took the most pleasure out of watching him struggle and it was Martin who discovered Raeburn's weakness. A crowd gathered around Raeburn. The drug that had immobilized him before had worn off by the time Martin decided to play with him. So he had his mouth clamped shut, he would not yell, he would not cry out, that's what Martin wanted. He would not give it to him. He held his breath when Martin touched the vulnerable area. Martin gently applied pressure to the bundle of nerves. Raeburn wrenched his eyes shut, but with each second Martin increased the pressure. Air hissed across his teeth as the pain quickly became unbearable. Martin had everyone's attention now, he began to dig his fingers into the tangle of nerves. Raeburn couldn't keep quiet, he gasped at the agony and fruitlessly tried to shake Martin off. To his surprise, Martin stopped his attack. Raeburn panted for air. He opened his eyes and relaxed when he saw Martin stand back.

"Dr. Roane will need to see this." One of them said, he turned quickly to leave the lab.

"Why would Time Lords even have such a weakness?" Another voiced.

"Do you think the Expert knew about this?" Said someone else.

"She's due for a beating for not saying anything."

Raeburn looked up at the monsters. Whomever this 'Expert' was, was certainly not here by choice. He had a really bad feeling that she was River and he worried that whatever she was doing here...she was in hell too.

The scientists all took turns prodding the hypersensitive area. They took a marker and actually drew a circle around it. The scientist, who ran off, returned with 'permission' from Dr. Roane to take samples. Raeburn did not want to live through this.

"Please, render me unconscious, don't do this." He begged them. "With whatever is left of your humanity, your mercy, please, at least do this while I am unconscious." His eyes connected with Franklin. "Please."

Franklin turned his gaze away as the others prepared to cut more chunks out of Raeburn's flesh. A dull pinch pulled his eyes away from the glint of the scalpel. The green-eyed girl was back and she was injecting him with a new drug. Raeburn squinted at her, he couldn't understand why no one else seemed to notice her. He opened his mouth to speak, but pressure at his shoulder drew his gaze back to Martin. Martin was slicing into Raeburn's bundle of nerves. Raeburn watched in horror, but he couldn't get his brain to work. Thinking had become horribly difficult. It was like an out-of-body experience, he could clearly see it happening, and he knew he should be in agony, but his whole entire being felt like pudding. His eyes slowly slid back to where the girl had been, but she was gone. Finally he realized that she was why he couldn't feel anything. She was why his vision was going blurry and his thinking becoming muddled. He didn't know who she was, but he was sure she was trying to help him. Raeburn winced at the welling up of his dark red-orange blood. He floated in the clouds, watching the evil scientists cut him open. He was quite thankful for the green-eyed girl. Raeburn's eyes rolled back into his head and his whole world went black.

Raeburn's dark world blurred into color and he wept. Tears slipped down his cheeks, his shoulder was on fire and he could feel every fiber of cotton that rubbed against his exposed nerves. Even the gentle sway of his breathing added to the flames. He arched his back and cried out. The drugs he had been given had all dissipated, but he couldn't go into the healing sleep. His hearts pounded out of control. He panted for breath and continued to cry.

There was nothing, nothing more these people could do to hurt him, or so he had thought. The pain in his shoulder screamed so loudly he could barely hear himself think, let alone focus on what they were actually saying. Even when they decided they really needed samples of his bone marrow, he could feel nothing past his shoulder. Nausea swirled around him and his eyes burned from his own tears, he closed his eyes, wishing he could just sleep until the pain resided.

They loosened his restraints and turned him over onto his stomach. He screamed...at least he thought he did, blood seeped through the patch on his shoulder. Gravity tugged on the inflamed nerves. The other holes cut into him ached. The place where they had taken a sample of lung tissue protested. Raeburn wondered how many people had suffered at their hands before him? His eyes were closed and he struggled to breathe.

He wasn't going to be able to keep his promise to Roangy. As soon as he had managed to get all of the victims to safety he was going to murder all of the staff in this building. He would spare Roangy because she tried to save him. But, Roanby, Dr. Roane, Franklin, Claude, Martin and all the rest whose names he never learned; he was going to kill them. He was going to blow up the facility and if anyone managed to survive he would tear them apart, piece by piece, slowly and painfully, so they would know how he felt. He would not extend mercy, because they showed him none. Roangy would hate him, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Pain blossomed from his hip, it almost tickled compared to excruciation in his shoulder. A twinge of guilt shifted through him with the flowering pain. The Doctor. Never cruel, never cowardly, never give in, never give up. And Raeburn was the Doctor. He contained the knowledge of over nine hundred years of memory and experience and of course he thought bow ties were cool. Despite his agony he smiled. Here he was being tortured to the point where he wanted to break all of his promises...and he could still think that bow ties were cool. As soon as he got out of this place he was going to get a bow tie...But still the thought remained. He was the Doctor and if he killed without mercy he would not be the person Amelia Pond loved. He would bring justice to these people and give them the chance to make the right choice.

He would not be cruel, he would not be cowardly and he would not let himself give up or give in to the pain. He screamed again when they turned him onto his back. However the pain assaulted his senses and he couldn't do much about the blackness overtaking his awareness, again.

Opening his eyes was an impossible task. His shoulder still screamed at him. His hearts were beating much too quickly and they stumbled weakly more than once. He was cold, too cold and he knew that he shouldn't be feeling cold. It was hard for him to breathe. Panic was starting to surface. Even with his eyes closed he felt seasick. There was something tugging on his arm, a dull ache compared to his shoulder. He didn't need to open his eyes to realize they were taking more blood. Keeping his promises were so difficult, especially with his life blood draining away.

Raeburn wished that the green-eyed girl would come and save him. He didn't even know who she was, or why she decided to pity him. He was a little worried that she was a figment of his imagination. Maybe the pain was just so horrible that his mind made her up, to block it out. When she was there, no one had noticed her presence. She was a mystery that Raeburn was very interested in solving. With her floating around in his mind he was able to hide from the pain.

Raeburn drifted in and out of consciousness. He couldn't get his heart beats under control enough to slip into the deeper healing coma, but at least under the blanket of darkness, he could find relief. Sound took so long to reach him, the agony radiating from his shoulder blocked out most of his senses. Eventually sound did make it to him. It was like the ringing of a phone. Only this one was too loud and high-pitched and it was just a long string of endless rings. It almost sounded like a fire alarm.

Smoke assaulted his nose and his eyes haltingly opened. Lights flashed in his lab and he realized he was alone. His eyes widened and he turned his head. The lab was empty, void of anyone, but him. Raeburn choked on the smoke that was swiftly filling the lab. He never thought he would ever wish for one of those horrid scientists to be there with him, but he did. He really wished one or two of them were around now. But they had abandoned him. Raeburn struggled at the straps, but he was trapped. There was no way for him to get out on his own. But he didn't give up and he didn't give in, he struggled until he was too exhausted to move. He had been pretty convinced that he was going to suffer but escape...And now his life was about to be snuffed out in the smoke that was filling the lab. He didn't want to die. But he could not get out without help. Breathing was becoming impossible. He didn't want to give up, but he could not see a way out of this.

He shouted and clenched his eyes shut when the flames reached him and danced over his wrists. He cried when the blazing heat gripped his face. The fire burned through his restraints, not that it would do him much good now. Raeburn doubted he could stay upright long enough to escape. The flames pulled him away from the table, jostling his many open wounds. A whirlwind of fire spun him around, until his mind was nearly gone. His body was burning and he would not come back this time. He wasn't Jack, he was the Doctor and the fire would destroy all regeneration energy. Raeburn was engulfed by the flames, there was no way out of this. He was dying.


	9. Chapter 9

Raeburn pulled away from the fire and sagged to the ground. The smoke cleared from his lungs, but the flames latched onto his arms. He cried, the fire swept across his flesh. His body and damaged muscles shivered in pain. The fire forced him upright. Then sound made it back to him, it pushed through the static of anguish.

"Montmore, hang on, we've got you."

Upon opening his eyes, Raeburn was flooded with relief, it was not the fire that held him, but Roangy. She had taken his right side, while her brother held onto Raeburn's left arm. The movement and pain that blazed from his shoulder warred with his relief.

"Just hold on, we've got a lot of stairs to get up." Roanby told him. Roanby and Roangy dragged Raeburn up the stairs, each step sent waves of pain and swirls of nausea.

"River-" He muttered. Roangy and Roanby didn't stop, they did not hesitate this time.

"What?" Roanby huffed.

"I can't leave without her." Raeburn rasped.

"Oh yes you can." Roanby disagreed.

Raeburn's eyes wandered aimlessly and out of control. He was impressed by Roangy and Roanby's strength as they took on all of his weight and pulled him up the stairs. The further up they made it, the more the smoke thinned out.

"I didn't do it, Roangy." Raeburn whispered. "It wasn't me."

"What...Wasn't?" Roangy was short of breath.

"I didn't start the fire." Raeburn caught the faint smile that played on her lips. Raeburn's sense of time was missing, but it seemed to take forever to get up those god forsaken stairs. When they finally made it to the landing and through the exit door, Roangy produced a wheelchair from a cupboard. Raeburn slouched into the chair. He grimaced when he bumped his hip bone, where they had extracted a sample of his bone marrow. Roanby pushed Raeburn down a hall with Roangy running along side. The next set of doors they went through led to the outside world.

It was the dead of winter, in the middle of the night and Raeburn was in his pants. He knew he was running a fever, everything felt too hot. He had thought the fire was devouring him, when in fact it was the touch of Roangy and Roanby's hands, rescuing him. But now that he was out in the cold he shuddered. Flurries tangled in his sweat drenched hair. Roangy wrapped a blanket around him when they had put some distance between them and the facility. The soft cotton rubbed against his many open wounds and he moaned, but he was thankful for the blanket. Roangy pushed Raeburn into an alley way. Raeburn's teeth clattered in the cold and holding his head up was difficult. A blazing heat seared into his cheek and he found that he had closed his eyes. He opened them to see Roangy looking at him, her hand holding his face. Her sorrow was clear. Her eyes were filled with regret.

"I am so sorry, I know you hurt, but you have to hang on..."

Raeburn tried to nod, "Okay." he whispered.

"We don't have a lot of time, but I need to dress your wounds."

"Okay." Raeburn breathed. He leaned back when Roangy moved her hand away, he was too weak to hold it up himself. Roangy went to work with bandaging him up and covering the many exposed gaps in his flesh. She had just managed to finish his torso when a vehicle pulled up. Raeburn's breath hitched. "Roangy–!" Roangy didn't bother to look up, she was working on a wound on his left leg. "Someone's-" He was beginning to panic, but out of the driver's seat appeared Roanby.

"Aiisha, we don't have time for that, they would have put it out by now, and they will notice..."

"We can't leave these exposed." Roangy didn't look up from her work.

"We'll have to, until we get to the safe house, unless you think you can do it on the road." Roanby pulled Roangy away. Roangy stopped her work and apologized to Raeburn. Then they pushed him close to the vehicle's passenger's side. "This is going to hurt, but hold on, its going to get better, I promise." Roanby told Raeburn.

Raeburn didn't trust Roanby, but it was obvious that he had swapped sides. Raeburn was very, extremely relieved that Roangy was still alive. Raeburn guessed that was thanks to Roanby. But being maneuvered into the seat was excruciating, they jolted his shoulder and bumped a wound on his leg. Raeburn was trying to be grateful to Roanby for helping him escape, but he hurt so much and it was easy to blame Roanby. When he was settled they wrapped blankets around him and buckled his seat belt. There were other extra belts that went across his chest and his thighs. Panic rose when Roanby began to restrain him, his body shook with anxious fear.

"Its okay Montmore, where we're going, the road will get bumpy, this is to help keep you still." Roangy pushed his hair out of his face and he watched Roanby closely, terrified beyond control. Roangy looked up to Roanby, "Leave his arms free."

"Thank you." Raeburn told her, he tried to stop shivering, but the restraints brought back flashes of suffering.

With Raeburn strapped down in the passenger's seat and it fully reclined, Roangy climbed into the back seat. Roanby jumped into the driver's and they were off. Roangy was right, the road was bumpy and with each bump came debilitating agony. He could only imagine how much more torment he would have been in, if not for the extra straps. However, he couldn't stop the moans from escaping his lips. Roangy would stroke his hair and it surprised Raeburn for how much it calmed him. But then after hitting a particularly painful bump, that had Raeburn crying out, Roangy told Roanby to pull over.

"Its not safe." Roanby argued.

"I won't let this go on any longer, just look at him!"

"I'm okay." Raeburn panted, his eyes were half closed.

"No, you are not. Pull over, Abel, just for a couple minutes."

Raeburn's appearance must have been horrid, because Roanby complied and the vehicle came to a complete stop. No longer being shaken and jolted, Raeburn relaxed. His calm demeanor faded when he felt something cold and wet on his neck. He tired to pull away.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to give you something to help you sleep." Roangy told him as she touched him again.

"I don't want to be drugged." Raeburn eyed the needle in Roangy's hand.

"You need it."

Raeburn swallowed, "I can handle it."

Roangy glanced at Roanby and Roanby nodded.

"I'm sorry, Montmore, but this will help you, I promise." She leaned forward. Raeburn held his arm up to push her away, but then Roanby was suddenly upon him, holding his arms down.

"You need to rest, Montmore." Roanby told him.

"No- stop, please!" Raeburn cried. He tried to turn away, but with her free hand Roangy held his head still. Raeburn squeezed his eyes shut at the stinging in his neck. Then all at once Roanby and Roangy released him. Roanby went back to driving and Raeburn glared at Roangy, his breath heavy. "Why?" He asked, the hurt and betrayal clearly voiced.

"Its for your own good, Montmore." Roangy kissed his forehead.

Raeburn turned away from her, he was angry that she hadn't listened to him and that she had forced her will upon him. But his anger ebbed away when they hit another big bump, he barely felt it. His body was going numb and he was so very tired.

Raeburn awoke to silence. It was dark inside of the vehicle. He carefully turned his head towards Roangy. His neck was very stiff. His searching eyes could not find her. She had been there, in the back seat...now she was gone. His breathing quickened when he realized he was alone, Roanby was missing as well. They were gone, Roangy and Roanby were gone, they had left him. Raeburn tried to sit up, but he could not. He was panicking, he was left alone and he couldn't get up. He remembered he had been strapped down. He tried moving his arms, they ached just as much as his neck did. But he managed to unbuckle the straps around him. With great effort he managed to sit up. Everything hurt, everything was stiff and sore. Raeburn fiddled with the lock on the door and opened it. Raeburn shivered at the breeze of cold air, but he forced his legs out. He grunted in pain as he pulled himself out of the vehicle and stood on his own.

He was barefooted and he wore only his pants. But looking at himself in the too bright light, he could see that someone, probably Roangy, had finished dressing his wounds. Raeburn squinted at his surroundings. The lights above him were blinding and the smell of petrol clung to the air. Raeburn had to find Roangy. He took a step out, but his legs crumpled beneath him, crashing him down onto the pavement. Air hissed across his teeth as he scraped his hands and knees. Raeburn clenched his eyes shut as the world spun around him. He took deep breathes, trying to keep his stomach still. He felt very, very sick. He tried to stand again. He made it back to his feet and stepped out. He could see a blurred rectangle building. He would look there for Roangy first. Three steps later he fell again. He banged his head on the way down. He lay in a heap on the ground.

He cursed at himself for being so weak. He was angry. Angry for what had been done to him. Angry at the Doctor for leaving Amelia and Rory in the 1950s. He was angry that he did not save River from the facility. He was upset and confused at Roangy's disappearance. He imagined the worst, maybe she was taken, or maybe she decided to leave him. A gust of wind rustled his hair and he shivered. He was very cold and he was angry, because he must have had a fever to be feeling so cold. He was useless, completely useless, and he couldn't get up.

"Oh my gods, Montmore!"

"Roangy?" Raeburn opened his eyes and they found Roangy there before him. She had dropped a bunch of grocery bags and was now leaning over him. Her shadow blotted out the blinding light.

"What are you doing, you idiot?" She yelled at him. She helped him back into the car.

"You were gone." Raeburn whimpered.

"We had to stop for gas, get some more supplies. Are you insane, trying to move on your own?" She looked around frantically. "They could be anywhere, if they had seen you...we would be found! And coming outside without any clothes on...sheez! Lay back down." Roangy leaned him back, Raeburn tried to stay upright, but Roangy didn't give him a choice. "We'd only been gone ten minutes, you were sound asleep when we got here." Roangy wrapped him back up in the blankets. Raeburn held Roangy's hand, afraid that if he let go she would disappear again. Roangy pushed his hair back. "You're okay." She told him.

"Where are we?"

"We're in England, about forty miles north of Leeds. We're taking the back roads to be safe and being in the city is out of the question. We've got a place in Aberfoyle, its way out of the way, but we'll be safe there."

"Aberfoyle?"

"Its in Scotland."

Raeburn smiled, "I'm quite fond of Scotland."

"Yes, now go back to sleep, we still have about four more hours before we get there."

"Roangy?"

"Yeah?"

"If we have to stop again, wake me before you leave me."

"Okay, go to sleep now." Raeburn closed his eyes, but he held on tightly to Roangy. Roangy leaned forward and kissed his head. "I need my hand back, Montmore."

"Don't go far." He muttered, but he let her go.

Whispering words in his ear and someone nudging his uninjured shoulder woke him with a start. His eyes shot open, it was early, very early. Roanby was gone and Raeburn's door was open. Roangy was before him, undoing his straps. "We're here, it's time to get up. Soon you'll be able to relax properly and get some food. And a nice hot soak would do you some good." Roangy helped Raeburn up and settled him into the wheelchair. Raeburn's body was stiff and sore and the wind was harsh. Roangy wrapped him back up in the blanket. "If anyone asks your name is Montmore Dunn, you're our brother. Okay?" Raeburn nodded. He looked at his surroundings. They were surrounded by hills and a large house was tucked away under a patch of trees. Everything was pale blue, it was just before dawn and the snow was thick on the ground. The only sound Raeburn could hear was that of the wind.

Roangy quickly pushed his wheelchair into the large house. The rooms were already paid for and Roangy pushed him into a large suite. Someone had placed three beds in the room, making it seem smaller than what it actually was. Roangy helped Raeburn to the first bed and he relaxed into the soft cushions.

"How are you feeling?" Roangy asked him.

"Everything hurts." Raeburn breathed. "But I'm feeling much better, thanks."

"I need to check the wounds, clean them and you need to wash up."

"Can't I just lay here peacefully?" Raeburn asked. "You said we would be safe here..."

"Yes, but we don't want anything to get infected."

"My body is tougher than it looks, I'll be fine."

"I don't doubt that. At least let me give you something for your pain."

"Okay." Raeburn sighed. He closed his eyes. The room was teetering around him.

"Do you think you can swallow these?" Raeburn opened one eye. Roangy had a couple of pills in her hand and a cup of water.

"Yeah..."

Roangy reached out to put it into his mouth, but a moment of clarity reached him so he held out a trembling hand. She dropped the pills there. "What is this?"

"Aspirin."

Raeburn's eyes widened in horror. He flung the Aspirin across the room and wiped the hand it had been in onto Roangy's shirt. "Are you freaking insane!?" He yelled at her.

"Montmore?!"

"Stupid, the lot of you, don't know a single thing!" He pulled away from Roangy and tried get up off of the bed. Roangy held him down and he struggled. He cried out and went limp when she bumped his shoulder.

"Montmore?" Roangy's voice trembled. Raeburn sucked in a great gulp of air and tears streamed down his cheek. "Oh gods, Montmore, I'm sorry." She moved her hands away and held them up peacefully.

Raeburn panted, "Its like you want me dead."

"No, I'm just trying to help."

"If you had forced me to eat that like you did in the car I would be!" Raeburn spat at her.

"I'm sorry!"

"Aspirin would kill me dead. D -E- D, DEAD!" Raeburn yelled again.

Roangy's expression was a cross between confused and terrified, "That's not how you spell-"

But Raeburn didn't hear what she said. The energy it took to rebel against Roangy and her evil Aspirin diminished. He was out before she could finish speaking. Raeburn drifted in between sleep and consciousness, slivers of what was happening around him came to mind. Roangy cleaning him, changing his bandages, pressing a needle against his neck. He tried to fight it, but he was much, much too weak. At least she didn't try to give him Aspirin again.

Then when he opened his eyes again, he felt more awake than he had in days. His gaze met a pale white wall. The sound of ticking was loud in his ear. His eyes looked to his right and then up, an antique wall hanging clock read four o'clock. Soft snoring made his eyes slide slowly to his left. There he found Roangy watching the news on the telly. On the other side of Roangy was Roanby, he was sound asleep.

"Roangy." Raeburn swallowed. His mouth was dry.

Roangy was up quick as lightening and at his side. "Feeling better?"

Raeburn nodded, "Water-?" He meant to say 'Can I have a cup of water' but he couldn't quite get his throat to work properly. Roangy smiled, she stood up and fetched him a cup. She helped him to sit up and sip the cold liquid. The water helped to clear his throat and mind.

"I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't know."

"Its okay." He answered when he finished the cup. Roangy gave him a smile of relief. Then he asked her, "So?"

"So, what?"

"Are you going to tell me what happened back at the Facility?"

Roangy looked back at Roanby, who was sound asleep. "When they were taking me back to my room, they knocked me out and when I came to, Roanby was there. Roanby, was very angry with me. But I told him I would never speak to him, ever again if he didn't help me save you. So he set up everything, got us a car, found this place for us to hide here and I...I started the fire." Roangy looked back at Raeburn, who had a stupid half smile on his face. " I burnt up the archive room with all the samples and information on everything...And I'm sorry, Montmore, if I hadn't hesitated before, we would have been able to escape a lot sooner."

"I forgive you." Raeburn told her and she smiled. "What about the other people trapped there, I saw a woman with long black hair? She was a telepath."

Roangy's expression darkened. "Amewen Jaganshi...is her name. She's a trouble maker, she's crossed paths with us- the Facility before. We- They were quite happy to get a hold of her."

"Who else is trapped there?" Raeburn prodded.

"Um, two Pheos, a mutant and whatever the hell the last guy is. We think he is one of Melissa's projects gone horribly wrong."

Raeburn's teeth clenched in anger. "I said who, not whats. These are people, not toys to be sold and dissected!"

"Sorry." Roangy, lowered her head in shame. "Um, the Pheos—er um Kathrin and Raven Gauntly. They are really rare...The facility has come across Kathrin Gauntly before...or a version of her...or something, her reappearance has really freaked everyone out...we thought...she was dead. But since coming across her again...well...She's the pride of the collection, she's supposed to be the leader of the Beaumonts. Um, the mutant, calls himself Xade. He's been gene spliced with feline, avian and human DNA. He's an odd one. The last guy is called Orrin Leftovers, we think he was created in Melissa's Labs."

"Melissa's Labs, the Beaumonts? What are those?"

"Melissa Oniakai is the mother of our facilities, her research started everything. But she died three hundred years ago. Her experiments are known for their longevity and they pop up now and then. The Beaumonts is an organization that fights with us- with the Facility...all of the Facilities of all time...On Earth. Specifically with Melissa herself. My great, grandmother was good friends with the Beaumonts."

"Your grandfather said something about that...Restoring the name?"

"Bit of family history here, my great, great, great grandfather was a part of the Facility, but he turned on them and so his daughter and granddaughter fought the Facility...And his granddaughter married one of the Beaumonts. I'm not quite sure what happened between Grandfather and Cassandra, his mum. But he decided to go back to the Facility. To try and restore the old name of Roane, make it big within the society of the Facilities."

"And how did you two get caught up on the wrong side?"

Roangy's face went hard. "Amewen Jaganshi killed our parents."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah."

"Maybe it was a misunderstanding...?"

"It wasn't." Roangy's eyes unfocused, trapped in the memory. "She broke into our house. Dad was reading me a story. He pushed me to the floor, told me to hide under the bed. And she killed him first. She always carries a katana, an old traditional Japanese sword." Roangy winced. "She impaled him with it, through his chest. Right where his heart was. Then she slit Mum's throat. Mum was giving Abel a bath. When she left I heard Abel crying and I went into the bathroom...Abel was still in the tub, but it was filled with Mum's blood." Roangy looked back at Raeburn. "We are trying to change the world for the better. Sometimes the Facilities get a little distracted, let in bad people, like Martin and Claude...But the governments of Earth won't even acknowledge people like Amewen Jaganshi. We have to bring the judgment to people like her...I wouldn't even count her as a person...she's a monster...and if we can use her blood to save other people...then what we are doing to her is okay and is giving her more mercy than she deserves."

"Roangy-"

"You are looking for justice, so are we."

"Roangy, I'm sorry, I really am. But think about all that was done to me, I know its not the same as what has happened to you. But I promised to give second chances to your family...do you think you could give second chances too?"

Roangy shook her head. "Not to Amewen Jaganshi...Kathrin and Raven Gauntly, maybe. But never to Amewen Jaganshi." Roangy stood, her dark expression was suddenly hidden by a cheerful mask. "You must be starving, when was the last time you had something to eat?"

Raeburn thought about it. "Not since before you stabilized me. I don't know how long ago that was." His face crumpled in despair, he didn't know where his time sense had gone.

"A while then. Goodness, you must be starved. I'll find us something, just wait there, right there...Don't move." With that Roangy left the room.

He sighed. Raeburn had much to sit on. The Facility was not a good organization, but Roangy's commitment to them made sense now. Raeburn had never heard of a Melissa Oniakai, nor this Beaumont group. _Oniakai_, he recognized instantly as Japanese. It roughly translated as...ooh _Red Demon_. Raeburn wondered how much this Melissa person resembled a demon, since she was the mother of all evil facilities. Then again, the name _Jaganshi_ was another disturbing name, meaning _evil eye nurse._ That brought him back to the name _Gauntly_...all of these names were so dark, they made Raeburn uncomfortable. Though picking apart the name _Beaumont_, that added some peace to him. It was a French name, it meant_ 'Beautiful Mountain'_. Raeburn wondered about this Evil Eye woman, _Amewen_, her name was fun to pick apart as well. _Ame_ was Japanese for _rain_, _Wen_ was originally Welsh. It meant _fair_.

Despite the accusations against Amewen Jaganshi, Raeburn was very interested in speaking to her. Not only was she a telepath, with a very interesting name, but she had managed to slip through his mental shields and yell at him. That was incredibly impressive, but she didn't seem malicious...If she did actually slay Roangy and Roanby's parents, Raeburn promised himself, he would enact justice.

The most important thing out of all of the information Roangy exposed was that of River Song. Or rather the lack of information on River Song. She didn't mention her...at all. Raeburn looked over at Roanby. He was still out, Raeburn wasn't surprised, Roanby did all of the driving. But maybe...maybe Roanby knew something about River.

It was the words and video on the television screen that disrupted his train of thought. The news feed was a speculation of an unidentifiable object in space, moving quite quickly towards Earth. Images of the strange object came onto the screen. It was estimated that the object was about the size of Canada. It was a large sphere like object. Raeburn sat up suddenly, he knew what it was. His shoulder screamed at him and his other injuries caught up with him. He groaned loudly and leaned back into the pillows. That was stupid of him. Tears slipped down his cheeks, his wounds were properly agitated now... But he knew something...one thing...He knew what the unidentifiable object on the screen was...It was a spaceship.


	10. Chapter 10

When Roangy returned Raeburn was leaning back with his eyes shut tight. He focused on his breathing, his shoulder hurt like hell.

"Montmore, are you okay?"

"I'm alright, I'm always alright." Raeburn tried to hide how out of breath he really was.

Roangy set a tray of food down and came next to his bed. "What happened?" She asked him.

Raeburn nodded to the telly, "A spaceship is coming here."

Roangy looked at the news feed. "Um yeah, its quite far off though, it won't be here until Sunday and if it poses a threat then they'll blast it out of the sky. I'm not too worried about it..."

"What's today?"

"Thursday the 9th of February 2367."

"So of course it is.

Roangy was still looking over Raeburn's body. "Montmore...is your shoulder alright?"

"I'm fine."

"You're a rotten liar, its bleeding through the patch...You didn't try to get up did you?"

"There is a bloody spaceship heading to Earth on a crash course...what did you expect me to do?"

"And you call us the idiots." Roangy moved about picking up a case and scooting a chair over to Raeburn's left side. Raeburn pulled back when Roangy leaned towards him. "What?"

"No thank you, I'll manage."

Roangy rolled her eyes. "This is the same kind of block that's been taken from you from thirteen different places. I know how to clean it and re-bandage it."

"You don't know, do you...Of course, that's why they were all so interested. They didn't know about it."

"What are you going on about?"

"They cut pieces...of the nerve cluster that's under this patch."

Roangy's eyes widened. "They would have taken the samples while you were still conscious...The pain of that alone could have killed you!"

"I know...but-" Raeburn thought of the green-eyed girl. "Someone gave me anesthetics."

Roangy shook her head. "They don't do that. They think it interferes with the test results."

"No...I saw a girl...But no one else seemed to notice her...There is a high possibility that I dreamed her up to block out the pain...But she gave me something to ease the pain."

Roangy's expression changed quickly to horror. "You saw a girl...?"

"Yeah."

"Did she look about fifteen years old...ish, black hair, green eyes?" Raeburn watched Roangy carefully and then he nodded. "Dion. If we're talking about the same girl, it was Dion."

"I'm quivering with anticipation, who is she?"

"A ghost." Roangy looked at Raeburn and when he didn't laugh at her, she continued. "Supposedly she was tortured to death in the 1500s. And for the past eight hundred years she has been latching onto facilities like ours and Melissa's Labs and various others. We think she draws energy from those who are consumed with fear and agony. But she's not known for helping others...There are horror stories of our scientists finding their patients with their limbs pulled apart, or impaled...or...trapped in some ancient torture device. I have no clue to why she would help you."

Raeburn's mind processed this information quickly. The possibility of ghosts were not all that far fetched. Psychic residue in houses were responsible for many hauntings. Another possibility was that this Dion was stuck in between dimensions. Or maybe she was out of phase with time, how she managed to survive for 800 years like that was another thing. Raeburn decided to push her out of his mind, for now, he had other things to worry about, other than ghosts. Roangy peeled away the plaster that had covered his shoulder. He shut his eyes tightly. But hearing her small gasp, he forced them open again. The wound deep and bloody. The air sizzled the damaged nerves. The skin around the gaping hole was such a dark red it looked purple.

"If you even consider putting Hydrogen Peroxide on it, I will kill you."

"Okay." Roangy's voice was small.

Roangy was very gentle as she worked on the hypersensitive wound, but still it sent waves of fire through him. "Just cover it up, please." He panted. He whimpered as she mucked with it and he closed his eyes again.

"Okay, I'm done!" Roangy declared as she scooted back and binned the rubbish left over. "Let me wash my hands and I'll bring you some food. We've got chicken soup."

"Just the broth for now." Raeburn told her, the room was spinning again. As hungry as he was, he didn't want to throw it back up.

"Are you okay?"

"I am growing tired of that question...What do you think?" He snapped. Then calmly he answered her, "Just feel a bit sick."

"Okay, we'll hold off for a moment, actually what we really need to do is get you into some actual clothes." That made Raeburn look at himself, he was still in his pants, though he was tucked into the bed with the blankets around him.

"I am starting to miss my old outfit. Actually, that's a good question." Raeburn looked back at Roangy as she was pulling a pair of jeans from a bag.

"What is?"

Raeburn didn't answer until she looked up. "When the Flesh first scanned the Doctor two hundred some years ago, it didn't just scan his mind and heart but his entire being, including his clothes and shoes, even his watch. So when I was created so were his things. But now when you lot brought me back, I was very much nude. My molecular structure should have kept record of the materials of the clothes as well..."

"So..."

"Why didn't my clothes come back too?"

Roangy stopped rummaging through the bag. "The remains of the Flesh we found were all in a crystallized form, except for yours, yours was trying to come back. Repair itself, you said yourself that it was the proximity with the Artron Energy residue that kept your structure intact. Either way your structure was in very bad shape, just a handful of grunge trapped in a container of crystallized flesh. We had to implant new Flesh to the original and there were holes in the structure as well. In the end we were able to rewrite the structure enough to have you growing and coming back. We programmed the new flesh to copy the original."

"You rewrote my molecular structure...?" Raeburn quickly looked back to his behavior, searching and scanning to see if there was anything that was out of character from the Doctor. Then again, there was always the chance that his memories and experience were made up.

"Its okay, we were able to determine the difference between things like clothing and biological molecules. The point is, that we cut out the molecular memory of your clothes from the original structure...that's why you didn't come back with them." Roangy watched Raeburn closely, but he turned his head away from her. "You're worried we did something else to you."

"You lot have done many things to me." Raeburn spoke, his face still turned from her. "There is a great concern in my hearts that I might not be whom I once was. Maybe I'm just a fake after all...Just almost the Doctor..."

"No, that's not right. When the Flesh scanned the Doctor and became you, what happened after that?" Raeburn didn't look at her, nor did he respond. So Roangy got up and sat on the edge of his bed, she was careful not to bump him. Finally he looked back up at her.

"Amy didn't trust both of us. So the Doctor and I swapped shoes. I called him the Flesh and he called me the Doctor. Amy put her trust into me. The Doctor and I split up, Amy came with me. Then I sacrificed myself for the rest of them to escape. I vaporized myself along with two other gangers."

"Wow." Roangy said full heatedly. She had a strange smile on her lips.

"Why are you looking at me like that...?"

"Because you are a hero, it doesn't matter if he was the original Doctor, you are as much of the Doctor as he is, aren't you?"

Raeburn nodded, "But you mucked with my molecular structure... How do I know I am me?"

"We only cut out the pieces that would have been your clothes and whatever accessories the Doctor carries around with him...Okay, listen next time I get to a computer I'll hack into the Facility's cloud and get a copy of the final structure we used to bring you back and mix of the original flesh with new flesh then maybe you'll see that we didn't alter whom you are. And you know what even if got changed a little, everyone changes, change is good."

Raeburn had gone quiet, he couldn't help but to think about regenerating. "You didn't alter the Doctor's DNA or try to rewrite my memories...?"

"No of course not, we would have gotten in trouble for that. The goal was to have an extra 'Last of the Time Lords' Not a rewritten hybrid."

"That last sentence there doesn't make me feel very comfortable."

"Well you know what, you being in your pants makes me uncomfortable so we're even. I've brought you trousers, new pants, a shirt, a coat...socks and a pair of shoes." Raeburn looked at the outfit with disgust. "Don't tell me you've decided you want to be nude for forever..."

"No, I just miss my bow tie."

"Bow ties, who wears bow ties these days?"

"Me, I do because bow ties are cool and the Doctor wears bow ties and I am the Doctor."

"I thought you were Montmore...?" Roangy half teased. "Do you want me to call you Doctor now?"

"No, call me Montmorency Raeburn, because being called the Flesh Doctor is really not nice at all..."

"Okay, whatever you say, Montmore. Lets get you clothed."

After a careful sip of the hot soup, he downed it with great gulps. He ignored Roangy when she told him to take it easy and he threatened to get up himself to retrieve a bowl of the real stuff. He finally took slowed down when Roangy brought him tea, but she only allowed him one Jammie Dodger. When he was finished with his meal he insisted on mapping out the spaceship that was on a trajectory course to Earth. Raeburn predicted that it would crash in India, but Roangy was positive that the Indian Space Agency would blow it up first. Raeburn complained about the military and guns.

"They should try communicating with the ship."

"I'm sure they've thought of that."

"If I could get up there, then maybe I could stop it from crashing slash being blown-"

"Maybe" Roangy replied automatically, but when Raeburn didn't quip some more, she turned and looked. She smiled at him. Raeburn had fallen asleep.

"-Up...What?" Raeburn opened his eyes, a rare ray of golden light shined through the window, the curtains were drawn back, allowing the warm glow to lay across him. Raeburn blinked at the bright light. He cursed mentally, he had fallen asleep in mid conversation...it was night time when he was speaking to Roangy...He must have been asleep for...fifteen hours, twenty-three minutes, three seconds. He smiled, his time sense was back. But the silence of the room unnerved him. All he could hear was the ticking of the clock. Passed their room he could hear footsteps and low voices, but that was normal, what he couldn't hear was his Roangy and Roanby. Raeburn choked down the surge of panic that laced through him. He turned his head this way and that, looking for clues to where they had gone.

Stuck to his headboard, Raeburn discovered a piece of paper. Raeburn made the mistake of trying to reach it with his left arm, the wound on his shoulder protested and throbbed. Raeburn had to lay still and pant for a couple of minutes before it would allow him to move again. Raeburn made a mental note to keep his left arm close to his chest, that would reduce irritation to the devastating injury.

He grabbed the note with his right hand and began reading it. It was from Roangy.

**Dear Montmore,**

**No we haven't abandoned you, don't freak out if you wake up and we're not there. Sheesh, we've just gone into town, we should be back by 11:00 am. Now before you whinge about us not waking you up, we tried that. You. Would. Not. Wake. Up. Now I'm sure you're half starved; so on your lovely bedside table we have left you three Scotch eggs and a bottle of orange juice...Enjoy! If you get bored I've left paper and pencil in the top drawer. I jotted down some math equations that were giving me some trouble. Also Summer Falls is in there too and the remote to the TV should be on top next to the juice. I took a peek at your wounds and to my surprise they are nearly better. You are amazing, Montmore. One last thing, if you can get around safely...SAFELY, then you should take a nice hot soak, everything you need is in the bathroom.**

**Right then see you soon!**

**~Roangy**

Raeburn smiled at the note and set it down. He eased himself slowly up so he could eat this lovely breakfast. Afterward he tested his legs. The evil scientists had not only taken skin samples, but cut out large chunks out of his leg muscles. But even without peeking at their progress, he could feel that they were nearly healed. Raeburn slowly moved to his feet, he was sore and stiff, but his muscles didn't give out. Raeburn really wanted to take a nice hot bath. So he carefully made his way to the bathroom. The only thing that hurt still, was his shoulder. That didn't surprise him, probably the most efficient and quickest way to get that healed would be to go into the healing coma for a few hours.

Raeburn began filling the tub with hot water. Since waking up in 2367, Raeburn had been unable to control his hearts. That was incredibly frustrating and unacceptable. He knew that a part of it had to do with being flesh and being unable to stabilize. Then after being stabilized the Evil Ones had him on drugs that put his hearts out of his control. But since then, he had still struggled with it. He hoped the hot water would help him to relax and gain that lost control. He took a couple of the thick towels and used it as a pillow in the big tub. That way he wouldn't accidentally drown...that would be...stupid.

The hot water was painful at first, but his body adjusted and his muscles relaxed. The hot water pulled the stiffness away from his body. He made sure that his pillow held his head out of the water and he made sure the tap was turned off. He laid back, wincing as he bumped his shoulder. He didn't dare mess with it. The hot water should help with that as well. But what he really needed was to gain control over his hearts.

He closed his eyes. Raeburn drew his concentration to his hearts. He calmed them and slowed them down. 100 beats a minute. He slowed his breathing and let himself relax. 60 beats a minute. He was getting there, slowly but surely. 30 beats a minute. Raeburn cleared his thoughts, he focused on his hearts, he put all the things that he worried and stressed over behind a door in his mind. He would gain control over his hearts. 10 beats per minute and then he finally slipped into the healing sheep his shoulder wound so desperately needed.

Then slowly his hearts' beats increased, but Raeburn could not detect when he shifted from the coma into REM sleep.

"Amy!" The doctor shouted. The ginger haired woman turned a big bright smile on her face. He had missed her.

"Doctor!" She shouted back, her voice filled with joy. The Doctor ran to his best friend and hugged her tight.

"I won't ever let you go, I won't ever let anything happen to you." He told her.

"But Doctor you already have."

The Doctor pulled away from her, "What?"

"Its too late Doctor, you left us to die. We are dead because of you. I'll never see my mum and dad because you left us."

"No, Amy no, I didn't." The Doctor tried to remember what he had done, but there was nothing. His hearts were breaking at her words.

"You made me wait fourteen years, then you killed me. What a waste, what a disappointment you've been." Those didn't sound like her words, but it still hurt him. This Amy knew that and a grin spread across her face.

"Amy I'm sorry." He took a step towards her, but she pulled away.

"No, nothing you say will ever stop me from hating you." Her eyes glowed with wrath. The Doctor stepped back, the verbal blow was as painful as the wound on his shoulder. Amy's face faded into a gathering crowd.

"Doctor, Doctor, Doctor!" All around him were the faces of everyone he failed, Astrid, the Master Donna, Rose, Susan, the list went on and on. The Doctor pulled away, tears streaming down his cheeks. He backed up until he bumped into something solid behind him. Spooking him, he turned, the Tardis loomed before him. Sighing in obvious relief, he caressed the wood.

"Save me from the monsters." He whispered to his closest and longest friend. But he jerked back when the wood burned his hand. He watched in horror, he could feel his hearts tearing themselves from his chest, as flames engulfed his precious Blue Box. She dissolved and morphed in a golden flame until from the glittering dust stepped out a raggedy lady. His raggedy Lady.

"Old Girl?" The Doctor muttered, but she too turned away from him. Her eyes were closed as if she was listening to a distant song.

"Do you hear them?" she asked.

"Hear who?"

"Do you hear them? They're crying."

Then the sound of tears and pleading wailed out, stretched out towards him. He drowned in that sound. He pounded his fists into his head and pulled clumps of hair out, as that sound filled him. It was the sound of 2.47 billion children crying.

"No no no no no! No! I don't want to remember this, PLEASE!" He begged the universe.

Raeburn opened his eyes and struggled out of the tub. Desperate to get away from the sound. The sound echoed around the sanctuary, pounded against his skull with each clash of thunder. He grabbed the edge of the tub, but just as he had made it to sitting up, he slipped back into the bath. The water was as thick as glue. It clung to him and anchored him down. He was sure he had left the lights on, the room was so dark, so cold. His head went under the thick liquid.

A loud high-pitched buzzing shifted over his head, above the surface of the bath, it reminded him not to give up. Raeburn pushed himself up. He gasped for air as his lips broke the surface. But the buzzing sound had vanished along with footsteps. Raeburn croaked out, "Trust me." Then he threw his arms over the edge of the tub so that he wouldn't slide back. He was numb, pins and needles numb. It felt like a thousand needles were being pressed into his body. It dulled everything else, made it hard to keep his head upright. But he didn't want to fall back into the gunge. He wanted to live, he didn't want to be thrown away like the others. He didn't want to die, to feel death.

He didn't want to die. So he pushed himself out of the vat. He came crashing down to the hard stone. His flesh pulsed and wobbled like jelly. He struggled to his feet. But his head. His head was filled with so many impossible things, he cried out. He heard someone coming. He pulled himself to a pillar, he climbed to his feet and reached out for her. "Trust me." He whispered to her. He tried to ask for help, but she limped away.

Raeburn closed his eyes, he had been stabilized, why was he melting? He looked up and there before him was a monster. Lights and sirens assaulted his senses, but he held out the sonic.

"Geronimo!"

The monster disintegrated and Raeburn felt every atom and molecule in his body pull apart. He was nothing but a pool of flesh, surrounded by Cleaves and Jennifer. But even as the acid came for their liquid state, something amazing happened. Cleaves and Jennifer surrounded him, cuddled him. While the acid burned their flesh into crystals, they tried to keep him safe. Their beloved Doctor. The acid reached Raeburn, burning most of him up, but Cleaves and Jennifer saved him, just a little puddle in a crystal bowl. _You cared for us, even when we tried to kill you_ they whispered. Even Jennifer knew in the end that Raeburn had tried to save her. In death she forgave all the wrong she was dealt. _You sacrificed your life, now let us save yours._

Raeburn lifted up out of the cold water. He was upset that his hearts had gotten out of control. He had only managed a half an hour of healing sleep and about ten minutes of REM sleep. Well at least he had managed it. It was enough to ease some of the pain from his shoulder, but now his bath had turned cold.

He tried to shake himself from the nightmares. In all of the naps he had taken since waking up this year, this was the first time he had dreamed. He didn't like it. It surfaced too many buried memories.

He finished cleaning up and after he dried himself, found another outfit left for him by Roangy. That girl was one of a kind. He sighed, he hoped she knew that he was going to go back to the Facility. He intended to rescue everyone and blow up all evidence of him being there, all before Sunday. Then he was going to deal with the impending spaceship. He hoped his body would be up for traveling soon. He was ready to enact judgment on the Facility.

Raeburn ended up solving the math problems Roangy had left behind for him. He needed his brain thinking to help formulate a plan. Also Roangy and Roanby were running late. It was already noon. The maths took him less than five minutes to solve. They were fairly simple, but Roangy had written a note asking him to write out how he got his answers. After mapping what he knew of the lay out to the facility, and listing items they would need, he took to sketching out the spaceship. He didn't know the the origin of the ship. But he could tell that it was old, no short of ancient. Older than he was and that was saying something. But why was it coming to Earth?

He flipped on the telly and watched the 24 hour news feed. Earth was starting to get impressive. Even now there were humans who had taken to the stars and established colonies. They already had peace treaties with other planets. They had advanced to even using terraformers on Mars. Raeburn remembered his fourth incarnation's visit to Vyga 3. That was only seventeen years ago, from now and despite the Earth colony's ineffective legal system of Vyga 3. It was still impressive that his humans had made it that far. And in less than thirty years from now, all those Earth colonies of the Seven Planets would declare independence from Earth. Raeburn smiled, he was so proud of his beloved Earth.

His smile faded when he remembered what Roangy had said. She said that if the spaceship got too close to the Earth, they would blow it up.

After being an hour and a half late, Raeburn was running out of things to keep himself busy. He hand washed all of the dirty laundry, made all the beds and thoroughly cleaned the room. Roangy had left a sheet of paper taped to the door. It read: **ONLY LEAVE THE ROOM IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY We don't know who is watching, we have Facility agents everywhere, anyone could be working for Grandfather. It is safer for you to stay inside. I don't want to come back and find you collapsed in the sitting room.**

Raeburn was pretty confident that he wasn't going to collapse again. He felt great, he had removed all of the bandages from his body, save for the shoulder plaster. The rest of the wounds were healed, except for a few scars. However being cooped up in a small room with nothing to do was quickly driving him mad...going mad from boredom totally counted as an Emergency. So he decided to ignore her warning. He did notch up the security in his own mind. Then he very gently opened the door.

"What's happened!" Roangy shouted. Raeburn jumped back in surprise, coming down the corridor was Roangy and Roanby, both carried packages and bags of unknown items. Roangy bustled her way into the room half dropping everything to the floor. Roanby was a little more sensible, and set his things down onto the counter, he quickly closed the door.

Roangy was up and in Raeburn's face. Her eyes scanned his appearance. "You're up."

"Yep. All healed too," he stretched out his arms to show her the nearly healed scars. But lifting his left arm was a mistake. He winced as it pulled at the nerve cluster. He gently lowered it. "Okay so mostly healed. The wound over the nerve bundle will take some time. But other than that I am good."

"Did you clean in here?" Roanby asked, he had gone to his bed and found that every wrinkle and been removed from the sheets.

"I'm tired of this room. There is nothing to do. I don't even have the Sonic." Raeburn whinged.

"The Sonic?" Roangy asked.

"The metal wand I used to make the converter."

"Oh that thing! Hang on." Roangy rummaged through her purse, but after a moment gave up and then went through her book bag. Raeburn's eyes lit up when she retrieved his sonic. Raeburn took it right out of her hand.

"I could kiss you!" He stroked his precious tool and quickly scanned himself. "Good, good. Oh yes. I missed you so much."

"You're talking to it."

"No I'm not!" Raeburn looked back to Roangy. "And you lot were late!"

Roangy picked the bags back up and took them to her bed. She sat down with a sigh. "We had lots to do. Did you take a bath?"

"Yes, I took a bath" Raeburn rolled his eyes at her.

"Okay, well come over here and take a seat."

"I've been sitting aaaall daaay."

"But I've got something for you."

"OooooH What is it?" Raeburn climbed onto his bed and sat cross legged in front of her.

Roangy pulled out from the first bag a little box and handed it to Raeburn. He set his sonic down and took the box. A big grin spread across his face. "You got me a bow tie!"

"I wanted to get you a silk one, but the shop we went to really didn't have much of an option. I hope you like maroon."

"No, its perfect." He grinned from ear to ear.

"I also got you a couple of dress shirts, but no luck on a tweed jacket."

"Gimme!" Raeburn held his hand out for the shirts. He quickly changed into a dress shirt, he tied the bow tie like a pro, the pro. "Almost back to normal!" Raeburn declared.

"Also we've got you an ID and a passport." Roangy handed those to him.

"What are these for?"

"We decided that we're going to go to America, Uncle Ethan still has the old Roane house in Washington State. We can stay with him. He'll keep us safe. When Grandfather came back to the Facility, his family abandoned him because of their ties with the Beaumonts. But Uncle Ethan can protect us from the Facility."

Raeburn shook his head. "No, I'm not going to run away this time."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going back to the Facility, I'm going back. I'm going to save Kathrin, Raven, Xade, Orrin and Amewen."

"That's suicide. You can't break into the Facility. They'll just sedate you and you'll be back where you started!" Roangy's voice sounded winded.

"No, I've got the sonic back" He flipped the sonic into the air and caught it. "And also a couple of friends will help me even out the numbers."

"What friends...?" Roangy asked him, confused.

"You and Roanby."

"I am not going to go up against Grandfather, he'll kill us." Roanby declared.

"Some grandfather he is if he is intending on killing his grandchildren. That's not how grandfathers are supposed to be. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience here."

"You're a grandfather?" Roangy wondered.

"We're getting off the path here. Listen, I'm going to go back, whether or not you want to come. I will save the others, or I'll die trying. I will not allow them to suffer there."

"You're even going to save Amewen?" Roangy's voice held anger and hate. Roanby just looked away, he was silent.

"I know that what she has done is unforgivable. But I will not allow her to stay in that place. I will make sure justice is served, but I will not tolerate the Facility continuing as it is. I must make sure that all evidence to me and the Doctor is erased. There are whole worlds out there who will tear this planet apart, just to get the info they've got on me. Its a risk to the whole planet. And if you don't want to protect Earth, then fine. Go hide out with Uncle Ethan. I won't judge you."

Raeburn watched Roangy closely as she made her decision. "Okay I'll help you."

"WHAT?" Roanby roared. "Are you kidding me, Roangy, if you go back there and Grandfather catches you, he'll never ever let you leave again."

Roangy looked back to Raeburn, "Will you still give Grandfather that second chance...when we blow up the Facility, you'll let him live?"

"I will keep that promise." Raeburn nodded.

"Then I will help you." Roangy nodded.

Roanby sighed angrily.

"Roanby?" Raeburn asked.

"Of course I'm in, I'm not going to abandon my sister."

Raeburn jumped up. "Very good, now lets get ready to go, I've got a plan, might need some tweaking. I'll explain on the way."


	11. Chapter 11

The trip back to Cardiff went without incident- that is if you asked Roangy or Roanby. Raeburn however became very bored, very quickly. He had mapped out everything, escape routes, prison cells, etc., but it did little to stop the boredom. Just an hour after they left Aberfoyle, Raeburn made Roanby pull over so he could drive.

"Talk" Raeburn commanded, startling Roangy.

"About what?"

"I don't know—Anything, got to keep my brain working."

"Um, I'm part Chinese...bet you didn't know that!"

Raeburn's harsh expression lightened, "I thought I could sense a hint of Asian, whose side do you get it from?"

"Ookay, um my great grandfather was Chinese. He was kidnapped from his home in China by one of Melissa's Labs, but Cassandra Roane saved him, they fell in love and got married."

Raeburn spoke his thoughts out loud, "And for your Grandfather to go back to the Facility after what his father went through, something must have happened."

"He never told us. But I still love him. He raised us after Amewen Jaganshi-...um well, y'know... he raised us and cared for us..." Roangy looked away.

"Lets talk about something different." Raeburn suggested.

"Okay. Um...uh."

"What about the other scientists, how did they come into this line of business...?"

"Hm, Rachel Evyns transferred here because she's worked and studied the early Flesh."

"I don't know her." Raeburn admitted.

"That's okay, after you stabilized she went back to St. John's Monastery... She had blonde hair, she's actually the one who built your cubicle. Let's see, Martin used to work at an old people's home, but we offered him a better job. He got dumped there because of some incident in Med school. Whatever bad things you want to think about the Facility, just remember this, we're a lot like you."

"How?" He nearly spat.

"We give people second chances, like Martin. Claude has a PhD in Biology, but ended up in jail for life, we worked it out for him to work with us. Though he can't leave the Facility, else he'll go back. But even he agrees that its a thousand times better than his living condition in prison. Oh and Franklin, his story is my favorite; his daughter was dying, but the Facility healed her in exchange for Franklin to work with us...I know you want to blow up the Facility, but I won't be able to sleep at night if these people die."

"What about the victims, how can you sleep at night knowing they're being tortured...?"

"Well, if it weren't for the fact that we had Kathrin Gauntly, Franklin's daughter would have died. She had Progeria, but due to the medicine we devised from Kathrin, we were not only able to save her, but completely reverse the affects of the disease. You can't even tell she had it. If you want me to be sorry for that, then you are wrong."

"No, you are the one that is wrong."

"But if we didn't, his daughter would have died. What we took from Kathrin didn't kill her and Kathrin will save many more lives before she leaves."

"But its against her will. You take away freewill. To do that is the ultimate crime. Did you even bother to ask Kathrin for help...or did you just take it from her?"

"She made a mistake, made it easy for us to find her, catch her and contain her." Roangy told him quietly. She knew in her heart that he was right...and he knew that she knew. "But she has all of that power, and she doesn't even use it to save the lives of children! Surely her crime is worse than ours."

"It may be, but that does not make what you do right. Nor does it justify it. Do you remember the year that no one died...? Miracle day?"

"That happened three hundred years ago." Roangy told him.

"But you remember it...?"

"The first few days of it, everyone thought it was a Miracle, but things got bad very quickly. Melissa's Labs were being paid to use their patients to find ways to kill people, instead of save them like we do now."

"Death is natural." Raeburn told her. "I will save as many children as I can. But I will not let those people suffer in the Facility. I won't."

"But-"

Raeburn gave her a look she could not escape, no matter how desperately she wanted to. In the end she remained silent, nodding only to send that look away from her direction.

Arriving in Cardiff, Raeburn was ready to put his plan into action. Unfortunately he had been traveling with humans. They declared that they needed food and rest. Roanby said that the best time to start would be at midnight, as most of the staff at the facility would be asleep. Roanby had the schedule for the Facility's staff memorized. So with heavy hearts and an angry sigh, Raeburn agreed to this. They made their base at a cheap motel. Roanby had mentioned the victims would be weak and sickly, much like Raeburn had been. Raeburn used Roanby's words as a 'Sign that the Facility is evil'. While Roanby and Roangy went to sleep, Raeburn took the extra time to try to go into the healing coma. His shoulder was trying to heal. However, to Raeburn's dismay the process crept at the speed of a human's. This irritated him to no end.

Laying down on the comfortable surface of the spare bed, Raeburn slipped easily into the healing coma. He rested for a good two hours...but then out of nowhere and beyond his control; he drifted into REM sleep and another strange dream engulfed him.

The world was dark, the sky a burning gray. Raeburn was in a forest. The trees were ancient oak. Raeburn didn't recognize the place, he didn't know where he was. A shout and a snap of twigs made him turn his head. A flash of red shifted through the forest. A red bird rushed at his face, making him jump back.

"What was that for?" Raeburn asked the bird.

The bird alighted upon a branch just above his head. The bird had the brightest of red plumage. Raeburn recognized her easily as _Serinus Canaria Domestica._ This one was the _Red Factor Canary _and not a single feather shifted from the bright red. She was beautiful, but the song she sang was harsh and cruel. The Domestic Canary had not been bred for their song, but for their beauty. Raeburn knew immediately that her words were directed to him.

_Little man, little flesh. You are wrong, you are foolish. Let live the evil, let suffer the innocent. No one is sinless, none are without blame. You are no Doctor and your fingers are stained. Stained in blood, redder than my feathers!_

With that the little bird flitted through the trees and into the sky. She called from air, her voice caught in the wind.

_Look out here comes the blade, all shall fade, you shall fade!_

Raeburn watched her disappear, he didn't hear the silent footsteps creeping toward him.

"Ishi" A cruel accented voice spoke from behind.

Raeburn turned, but before he could speak an ancient blade ran him through his right heart. Looking down in horror, Raeburn could see the glint of the silver ice and fire that cut into his heart. Raeburn choked in pain. Blood filled his lungs and dripped down his chin. He looked into the eyes that belonged to the monster who impaled him. Blood eyes looked back, long black hair rippled as she pulled the blade from his heart. She slung the blood from her sword and sheathed it.

"Kore de junbi ga totonoimashita" She told him in Japanese.

Raeburn had fallen to his knees. His hand was over the bloody wound and remains of his slashed heart. He looked up at her. "Ready, ready for what?" He asked.

"Anata no tamashi no toraiaru"

"What do you mean, my soul?" He croaked out. He whimpered at the horrible pain.

"I have come for it. The soul of a Time Lord." A dark figure announced. It was but a black shadow with a Cheshire grin. It knelt before Raeburn. It shoved him down onto his back. The heel of it's left hand pressed against his hurt shoulder, while it's right hand reached into the entry wound in his chest. Raeburn screamed, he could feel it's hand grasping and wrenching at the remains of his heart. Finally the shadow pulled back. It's hand dripped with his own blood, but it held onto a key. The key, the Key to his Tardis.

"No!" Raeburn cried weakly. His his torn and broken body would not last long without his soul.

"Stop right there!" Declared another voice, the green-eyed girl appeared and she fought with the dark shadow, trying to get the Key, Raeburn's soul.

"That belongs to the Raggedy Doctor. Not to you sniveling echos." Yet another woman came into his line of sight.

"Amelia" Raeburn rasped.

"You have no claim to his soul. So release him!" She demanded. She strutted straight up to the shadow and took the Key from it's hand.

"Thank you." Raeburn whispered and Amy turned back to him. His soul in her hand.

"They have no claim on your soul, no grudge...But I do. You sentenced me to death, Raggedy Man. I pay you in return." With that she lifted her hand into the air and tipped her head back. She opened her mouth wide.

Raeburn struggled to pull himself up, to stop her from devouring his soul. He could not get up, all of his struggling proved only to drain him of his blood. He was dying. Amy dropped the key. Before she swallowed it, Roangy snatched it out of the air. She raced back to Raeburn and set his soul into its place in his chest. "We have to get out of here!" Roangy cried.

Raeburn's flesh healed with the returning of his soul. Roangy helped him to his feet and they ran through the forest. Roangy cried out and fell. Raeburn turned back to help her, but now there were roots and vines wrapping around her, dragging her back. Raeburn raced after her, trying to catch her hand. The vines were faster, they dragged her up against a tree, pulling her through it as if the bark was made out of play dough. It solidified by the time he reached her. Only her face was exposed. She looked out into the forest her eyes unseeing, expressionless and dead.

"Roangy!" Raeburn cried.

"Aisha Roane has left the Library, Aisha Roane has been saved."

Raeburn staggered back. He knew what was behind him, he didn't want to look. He didn't want to see it.

"Spoilers"

Raeburn close his eyes and slowly opened them. He turned around and he saw her. River was sitting in that god-forsaken chair.

"Don't go River. Please." He begged her. River smiled with tears in her eyes. She connected to the mainframe and light exploded around her, then the scene froze. Raeburn was forced to gaze upon her frozen death. When he turned away from the horrific sight other voices took root, speaking all at once. A hundred voices matched a hundred faces that peered out from the trees.

"What is the point of you?"

"Can your conscience carry the weight of another dead race?"

"I want to stay. I can't go back. Don't make me go back. Doctor, please, please don't make me go back."

"You have no idea how dangerous you make people to themselves when you're around!"

Raeburn cried out to the mob of voices, "Stop this! Stop this please!" But the voices were cruel and did not stop.

"Doctor!"

Raeburn cried and covered his face with his hands.

"DOCTOR!"

A hand touched his back, making him turn and look though his fingers. A Weeping Angel stood before him, a communicator in it's hands.

"I died in fear. You told me my fear would keep me alive, but I died afraid, in pain and alone. You made me trust you, and when it mattered, you let me down."

The Angel reached out and grabbed his wounded shoulder. Raeburn called out once more.

"Montmore!" Roangy shook Raeburn, accidentally bumping his shoulder, making him cry out. "Sorry!" Roangy apologized. Raeburn opened his eyes and winced at the flare of pain. He glared at Roangy. "Sorry, you wouldn't wake up and its 11:30. Roanby's gone out to get van."

Raeburn sat up. He tested his left arm. Despite Roangy's abuse, his shoulder had healed enough that he could put significant pressure on his arm without irritating the wound. Raeburn got up off of the bed and set about getting ready. Roangy had nearly packed everything and when Roanby called, they were ready to go.

Their plan set in motion, they hid the van, but close enough for the escape. Roanby typed the passkey into the number pad and they were in. Then Roanby split up from the group to get into the control room. The plan was that he would use the system to automatically lock down the last floor. That way the majority of the staff would be cut off from the patient cells. He could also monitor where Raeburn and Roangy were from the security cameras. As soon as Raeburn gave the order, Roanby would start the self destruct count down.

"_Why would that place even have a self destruct?" Raeburn had asked when they made their plans._

"_Not all Facilities work together. Some of us are in competition to each other. So if anyone ever attacked or tried to take our research, we would destroy it before they took it. We'd be happier if no one got the research." Roanby explained._

"_Or if someone attempted a rescue mission." Raeburn finished._

"_That too, but Grandfather would much rather capture the folks doing the rescuing. That's how we obtained Amewen Jaganshi." Roangy informed him_

"_Oh so she's not all bad."_

"_I'm not going to forgive her, no matter what you say or what she does." Roangy declared._

Raeburn and Roangy continued on down the stairs. They had two more levels to go before they reached the last floor with the cells.

"That was easy." Roangy whispered once they had made it to the last floor.

"Its always easy to break into prisons...its getting out that will be difficult." Raeburn told her.

The sudden sounds of foot steps alerted them, they were about to be discovered. Quickly they scampered into a broom closet. The space within was so cramped that it put Roangy and Raeburn into a too close and awkward position. The rush into the closet had thrown Roangy off balance and she leaned heavily into Raeburn. He winced as something of Roangy's put pressure against his shoulder. Neither could see in the dark closet, but they worked hard to keep their breathing slow and quiet.

The footsteps moved down the hall, the way they had come and then disappeared all together. Without making a sound, Roangy opened the door barely a crack, but still being off balance she tumbled out. Raeburn moved quickly and closed the door. He helped Roangy up and they hurried down the hall, hoping that no one had heard the noise.

Before they could get into the hall of cell blocks, they needed to go through a security door. With a help of his trusty screwdriver, they made it in with no problems. Roangy led him to the first cell door.

"This is Kathrin's room." Roangy told him. Raeburn nodded and unlocked the door with the sonic.

Raeburn had no way to prepare himself for what he saw when he opened the door. Horror, of course surfaced first, then a deep fire of furious anger and wrath boiled beneath. The room was a bright white, concreted floor and freezing cold air. So cold that even with his metabolism, Raeburn shivered. A large tank sat in the center of the small room, it was filled with a dark blue liquid. Within the tank was a child. She was hooked up to a breathing machine and left suspended beneath the surface. The tubes and wires seemed to be draining her very life source, she was too pale and too skinny.

"Get her out." Raeburn whispered, trying to keep calm.

"Okay." Roangy didn't look at him. She shivered in the cold room and she went straight to the controls and drained the tank.

"Get Her Out Now!" Raeburn growled with his teeth clenched tight. He went to the tank and stuck his hands into the Arctic water and pulled the girl out. Roangy helped remove the tube from her throat, causing her to cough and gag. Her eyes fluttered, dark red irises peeked out. No doubt that her vision was blurry, Raeburn held her in his arms. Her wet form and hospital gown quickly soaked him, adding to the coldness of the room. "Its okay, I've got you now." Raeburn told her, encouraging her to breathe. The girl was very young, maybe ten years old, maybe younger. Her other features were hard to discern, Raeburn could barely see past her shoulder length scarlet red hair. Roangy retrieved a towel and a set of clothes from her bag. She helped dry the child's hair. Then Raeburn helped wrap it around Kathrin's shivering form.

"Thank you." The little girl whispered, her voice was hoarse, probably from the cold, or maybe from the tube, or maybe from lack speaking.

Raeburn worried about hypothermia setting in. But he didn't know anything about her, or why they kept her in the cold. Raeburn trembled with fury. He looked back at Roangy. "A child. You've been experimenting on a child!" He spat.

"I'm sorry." Roangy whispered.

"I'll be fine. I just need to rest a moment." The child told Raeburn. She closed her eyes.

"No, stay awake, I'm sorry, but stay awake, we have to save the others."

The child's eyes slowly opened and then widened as she remembered, "Raven, we have to save Raven. I don't want them to hurt her again. Please!" She whimpered.

"I swear, we'll save her next. Can you stand?" Raeburn helped her to her feet. She wobbled a bit. Down her arms and legs Raeburn could see layers of scars. The back of her gown parted and he could see dark bruises there and his hatred burned something fierce.

"I think so. I'm stronger than I look." The girl said with a smile. She curtsied in her gown. "My name is Kathrin."

"I'm Montmorency. I've come to help you and the others."

Her smile broadened and then faded. "We have to hurry, Raven is hurt!" She tottered forward, but froze at the sight of Roangy. Her eyes switched from fear to anger, just as Raeburn had done. Kathrin glared at Roangy.

Raeburn spoke to Kathrin. "She's on our side."

Kathrin didn't turn from Roangy, her expression was serious, hard and cold. "Do you know who she is?"

"Yes. She helped me and now she's going to help everyone."

Kathrin's expression changed to something that looked like pride. "The Roane family is supposed to be good. I'm glad you changed your mind." Roangy held out the clothes as if it were an apology. "We really don't have time for this." Kathrin said with a straight face, but she quickly took the offered clothes and dressed herself.

"Better?" Raeburn asked when she finished.

"Much." Kathrin replied.

They moved quickly to the next cell. Raeburn unlocked it with the Sonic. Raeburn had just managed to push all of his hatred behind a door in his mind, unfortunately he opened the physical cell door and it all flooded back. The second room was identical to Kathrin's, giant tank and all. Another child was held in place beneath the dark blue liquid. Kathrin didn't wait for Raeburn, nor Roangy. She seemed to know how to work the machines. She had the tank drained before Raeburn could catch up to her. Raeburn helped Kathrin pull out the other girl. She was clearly older and taller than Kathrin, but Kathrin latched onto her like a life boat.

"C'mon Raven, c'mon baby-breathe." The black haired girl coughed and gagged as Roangy removed the tube. Kathrin held her head in her lap as she stroked her hair. Raven's eyes slowly opened. Her's shared the same coloration as Kathrin's. "C'mon Venny, wake up, Sweetie." Kathrin told the older girl, her voice filled with love and concern. Kathrin looked up to Roangy with an attempted smile, "So much for dry clothes, you should get me another towel and something for her to wear." Raeburn watched Kathrin closely. There was something very strange about her. She looked human, smelled, humanish. But there was something very, very strange about her. Raeburn helped to dry the black haired girl and dress her, while Kathrin tried to wake her.

"That's right, Venny, Its me, I've got you." Kathrin crooned.

"Mum?" Raven croaked out.

"That's right." Kathrin smiled, kissing her forehead.

"Mum...?" Raeburn asked when Kathrin helped Raven to her feet; he was thoroughly confused.

"No time, Do- Montmore, we've got to get the others out." Kathrin said without looking at him. She followed Roangy back into the corridor. She continued to speak to Raeburn as they walked down the hall and turned left. "Next we save Amewen, she's probably seriously drugged up. I don't know know how we'll get her out."

"Maybe we should leave her." Roangy muttered.

Kathrin and Raven stopped in perfect unison. "I thought you were on our side!" Kathrin demanded.

"No, I'm on Montmore's, but I'm definitely not on Amewen's." Roangy said, crossing her arms.

"There is some past history between them. A grudge." Raeburn informed the girls. "But we're going to get passed it and save everyone and we'll talk about it after we are all safe."

"That's fair enough." Raven said. She looked at Roangy.

"Okay" Roangy said. She looked at Raeburn. That look said it all. _I don't like this, but I'm going to trust you. _Raeburn nodded back and they continued their path.

The following cell that they broke into, held a gurney where the long black haired woman laid. She was restrained and seemed to be in a lot of pain. Raeburn was surprised when she didn't bombard his thoughts with her words. Kathrin let Raven rest by the door while she ran to the woman. "Amewen, now would be a very good time to wake up. Lets see some of the dragon fire!" Kathrin patted her cheeks, trying to wake her. Raeburn came to her side to help, but Roangy stepped back. Her arms folded over her stomach, she looked like she was going to be sick.

The woman had various wires and tubes running all over her body, along with series of patches of missing flesh and tissue; much like what had been done to Raeburn. He helped Kathrin to free the woman, but still she didn't wake up. Her face was crumpled in pain, trapped in a dream. "C'mon Amewen, wake up!" Kathrin turned to Raeburn, "Don't you have any off world smelling salts or something?!"

"Excuse me?" Raeburn asked her, perplexed.

"Well do you?" Kathrin's voice held an edge of desperation.

"No I don't." Raeburn admitted.

"Okay um...Oh ah! But you're a telepath, right? Maybe you can wake her up that way!"

"How did you-" He paused, this was a very bad time for questions and answers. "Um...I can try, but if this is a drugged stupor, then there is little I can do." He put his fingers to Amewen's temple and closed his eyes. Shifting from the protection of his mind, he called out to Amewen. She was a very strong telepath, she had managed to get into his head and pass over his defenses easily. Even unconscious her walls were strong. Raeburn looked for openings and called out to her. A small crack opened and he slipped through. Even running around in her head, there were many doors locked that he could not get through.

_The lights in the hall of Amewen's mind stuttered and flickered. Screams echoed down the metaphysical hall. Raeburn turned towards the screams and followed the sound. At the end of the hall was a black door. Raeburn pulled out his sonic, and thought about it for a moment. Technically he didn't really have his screwdriver...But he thought he would have a go at it anyway. He pointed it at the lock and smiled in surprise when it worked. _

_The black door opened to a dark forest. Darker than the one in his own dream. Spiders scampered across the ground. But it was silent and ghostly. The screams were gone replaced by a whimpering. Raeburn walked carefully through the memory and found a small child, barely six years old. Her hair was long and black, her eyes were purple. Her skin was very pale, she was skinny and tall. She wore an elegant green gown that had tears around the hem. She had her legs pulled up close to her chest and she cried._

"_Hello." Raeburn said, moving slowly and carefully, so as not to frighten her. _

_The whimpering ceased, she wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up. "Ya ier?!" She spoke with confidence, thoroughly hiding her own fear and sadness. _

"_My name is Montmore, you have to wake up, we're going to get out."_

_Her language quickly changed to English. "You can't be here."_

"_You've called out to me before...You must know that I am a telepath..."_

"_So you are." The girl muttered. "Why are you here?"_

"_To get you out."_

"_No, I can't leave yet. The elders won't let me." She told him._

"_Its okay, they'll let us go, if we go now."_

"_No. I'll only go with my Atar."_

"Atar...?"

"_To-san, my father. The Elders cast him out because he's a demon and they won't let me go with him."_

"_Amewen! We have to leave now we haven't got much time."_

"_The Elders will be angry." She tried to make him understand._

"_This isn't real, where you are now, its not real, it is a dream. You were captured when you tried to rescue someone...do you remember?"_

"_Kathrin." Amewen said, thinking hard about it. "I promised the Ulryuru's I'd find their great grandchildren. I promised I'd find Orrin. And I promised Ben I'd save Kathrin and Raven. I failed them. I failed everyone. I let Tai and Ara die. I was supposed be their guardian and I let them die. I don't want to go back out there. I don't want to face them. So many have died because I failed them."_

"_Amewen, Amewen listen to me. Its hard. Its hard to survive and live on when you lose your friends and your family. But you must not give up. You have power, great power to help and save others. If you just give up then it goes to waste. You have to keep going and keep doing what is right. There are still others who care about you and rely on you. With whatever has happened, I'm sure they'll forgive you. But if you hide away in here, it will all be lost."_

"_I've been here so long, I don't think I can get out again." _

"_I won't leave you, you can do it, you are strong. You were able to pass my defenses from a distance!" Raeburn held out his hand and the little girl took his. _

Raeburn moved his fingers from Amewen's temples, she was coming around.

"Good job Do- Montmore, I owe you big!" Kathrin told him.

Amewen awoke, ominous purple eyes looked into Raeburn's forest green. "You are a handsome man to wake up to." Amewen said, sounding groggy. Raeburn blushed at the comment and she smiled. She sat up. "So now we do that weakened heroes escape sequence...yeah?" Amewen asked Kathrin.

"Good ole' Amewen." Kathrin laughed. "Yes, weakened heroes escape time." Amewen looked around, she smiled when she saw Raven, but then her eyes fell onto Roangy.

"Before you get upset-" Raeburn started, but Amewen interrupted him.

"Another turncoat. Must of inherited it from her Roane side." Amewen said with a smile.

"How dare you-?!" Roangy's voice was barely a whispered.

Amewen smiled sadly, "I'm sorry I failed you, and Abel. I'm so sorry."

Roangy froze, unsure of what to make of the apology. She opened her mouth and then closed it, confused. "Its your fault." Was all she could squeak out.

Raeburn looked from Roangy to Amewen, "We don't have time for this right now, we've got to get the others out. We can talk this out later. Amewen, can you walk?"

"I'm going to need help, I haven't been on my feet in nearly a month."

Raeburn helped her off of the gurney and she leaned heavily against him. With Raeburn supporting most of her weight, they pushed on to the next cell. The next victim laid in a hospital bed, instead of a gurney or a large tank. His long shaggy white hair and pale translucent skin made him look very sickly.

"Xade." Raven said, her voice sad. She and Kathrin began unhooking monitors and wires. Xade opened his eyes. His eyes were a bright yellow and shared the domestic cat's slit pupils. He didn't argue when he saw Roangy. He only looked over to the girls with a weak smile.

"We're going to get you out." Kathrin looked to Roangy. "You wouldn't happen to have a wheelchair, would you?"

"We should have on handy." Amwen's presence caused Roangy's voice to be hard. Her eyes never moved away from Amewen.

"Quickly, Roangy!" Raeburn encouraged. Roangy went back into the hall. "We should get one for you too." Raeburn said to Amewen. Amewen still leaned heavily against him.

"I'll be alright, just standing like this, I've nearly got my strength back."

Raeburn doubted her, but Roangy had returned with the chair and they got the old man into the seat. Xade never said a word and he never showed any signs of pain. So they moved as quickly as they could to the last door, but Raeburn hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Roangy asked him. But Kathrin and Raven pushed through before he could stop them.

"Don't-" Concern and worry saturated his voice. He stiffened when he could see the room inside. The young man chained to the wall had deathly pale white skin. The chains were made of silver and where they touched his skin, it left burn marks. Dark eyes looked up from behind the curtain of navy blue strands. His long hair blanketed his shoulders and spilled out onto the floor. There was a line going into his neck, a bright orangy red liquid was being pumped into the vein. He grinned a fanged smile. Raeburn's blood was ice.

"Orrin!" Amewen said with enthusiasm and joy.

"Orrin, we're getting out of here!" Kathrin told him, she looked to Raeburn, "Use the sonic to get him out of those."

"He's a—"

"Let him out, he's the last one here, right Amewen?"

Amewen nodded.

"You have no clue to what that creature is!" Raeburn growled.

"Even the Doctor has his prejudices...?" Roangy asked, smug.

"No...yes, but he's a vampire." Raeburn looked at the blood being pumped into him. "And without a doubt, that is my blood!" Raeburn's panic went on.

"It's done wonders for my health." Orrin replied, he shifted, but winced, the silver burned. "If it weren't for these chains, everyone would have been saved by now and They would be dead."

Raeburn did not doubt him and he knew 'They' meant the scientists.

"If you won't sonic it, then Roane should have a key!" Kathrin declared.

"I don't." She answered. She offered no alternative, she followed Raeburn's orders. Raeburn alone held her loyalty and she only followed him.

"Roane- Roane, is that you?" Orrin asked Roangy. "You're Aiisha, aren't you? I looked for you. You and your brother, after your parents were killed. Then I found Spencer and he brought me here. Finally I'll be able to tell Cassie and Zhou that you are alive and safe."

"How can you? They're dead." Roangy spat.

"But that's...not right." Orrin looked to Amewen, "It can't be."

"You've been here...for twenty years, my friend." Amewen told him with a heavy heart. "I came to find you, but they trapped me. I'm sorry. Everyone's gone, except Ethan, Spencer, Aiisha and Abel.

Roangy glared at Amewen, "Why would you care, you killed them!?"

"I did not kill them!" Amewen disagreed, her voice breaking. "I am very fond of the Ulryuru family, they helped me and I helped them. We were, are friends and we always will be. Yun was like my brother. And I was there when Tai was born."

"That's a lie!" Roangy cried.

"Okay enough. Everyone calm down. We are attempting a rescue mission, we will work everything out once we are a safe distance from here. Understood?!" Raeburn shouted. Roangy and Amewen became silent at once. They nodded their heads, agreeing.

"You going to save me, despite your prejudices against vampires?" Orrin said with a tired smile.

"Yes, because no one deserves to suffer in this place." Raeburn moved forward, still supporting Amewen, and sonicked the chains, releasing the vampire. Kathrin pulled the line from his neck, the place healed immediately. "We need to dispose of that blood." Raeburn declared, but he still held Amewen up. Orrin grabbed the unit of blood, tore it open and downed it. He tossed the plastic over his shoulder and wiped his mouth on his arm. Raeburn looked at Orrin with disgust on his face.

"There, its been disposed." He smiled his pointy tooth smile. "I'll help Amewen, you go ahead, Doctor and be useful." Orrin took Amewen's arm and slid her easily to his own shoulder.

"How do you-...How do you know me?" Raeburn asked him as they cleared from the cell.

Kathrin pushed Xade's chair but answered him, "This isn't our first encounter with you." Raeburn gave Kathrin a wide eyed look and a raised eyebrow, but she offered no further explanation. They followed the twisting hall until Roangy stopped at a door. "This is our archive room. Hopefully most of the information is still damaged from the fire."

"Hopefully. Okay you lot." Raeburn said to the group, "Follow Roangy to the stairs and start making your way up, we've got a vehicle waiting for us on the top side! Go, go, go!" Raeburn directed the group to leave and sent them on. He entered the archive room and quickly got working on the computer, setting up a virus to eat and devour everything, not just the research on himself but everyone from all time. Then he went to disposing the paper files. And for his last trick, he pointed the sonic at the overhead light, sparks flew and flames rooted at the discarded papers. Satisfied and sure that nothing would be left, Raeburn raced back into the hall and to the steps. He swiftly climbed them, easily catching up with the group.


	12. Chapter 12

The group was struggling. Kathrin and Raven were growing tired, Orrin carried Xade on his back and to his surprise, Roangy allowed Amewen to lean against her. However, Roangy had to stop and struggled to fish her phone out of her pocket. Raeburn moved forward to help keep Amewen on her feet, but just like she had said, Amewen seemed to be growing stronger. They continued the slow process while Roangy spoke with her brother.

"Montmore!" She called.

"What?"

"Grandfather and the others are moving to trap us at the landing. But Roanby is still undetected in the control room. He says he'll start the count on your word."

"Okay, keep him on the line." Raeburn told her.

The whole group wanted to rest when they finally made it to the landing, they were tired and out of breath. Raeburn allowed a moment's rest while he stepped forward with the sonic. The exit door had been locked, but it was not made of wood. Raeburn unlocked it easily, he pushed and held it open for the others to limp through.

However they did not make it very far down the corridor, for it had been blocked. A crowd of scientists stood in there way and at the front of the mob stood Dr. Roane.

"Welcome back, Flesh." He spoke to Raeburn. Raeburn curled his lip in disgust and pushed to the front of his rescued group.

"I am not Flesh any more. I have become much more than that, more than you'll ever be!" Raeburn snarled.

Dr. Roane did not seem impressed, instead he looked passed him to the others. Roangy was supporting Amewen again. Roangy had a look of disgust on her face, but she dutifully held Amewen there. It seemed to Raeburn that Roangy had lost track of her second thoughts for the rescue mission. Orrin was still carrying the old man Xade on his back. Kathrin and Raven were holding hands, their eyes glared at the evil ones, it seemed as if they were ready to set the world on fire.

Dr. Roane pretended to be surprised and hurt, but Raeburn could clearly see that sickly sweet glee that gleamed in his eyes. "Aiisha, that woman you are holding up is none other than Amewen Jaganshi. The one who slayed your parents...my son and his wife."

"Even-, even if what we did to her is more than she deserves...I won't let it be carried out here. I will find justice and she'll meet judgment, but not here, not like this. I follow Montmore's, the Doctor's ways." She tried really hard to be brave and confident against her grandfather, but her voice trembled and seemed small even to her own ears. Her grandfather terrified her.

"Actually, if I may say a word or two." Amewen spoke. "That is a filthy lie, made up by a filthy man. I had nothing to do with their murder."

"But I saw you." Roangy said, tears in her eyes. Raeburn knew she had worked really hard to keep it all within her, to fight about it after the rescue. Dr. Roane purposefully used Roangy's grudge against her.

"I don't know what you saw, Aiisha. But I have been with the Roane family since Cassie and Zhou were married. And another thing; Tai was never his son." Amewen pointed at Dr. Roane, but spoke to Roangy. "Tai's father was Yun and his mother was Maple. Spencer went back, because he let whom his parents were decide his fate."

Dr. Roane ignored Amewen's accusations. "Amewen Jaganshi is one that is born from demons and dragons, there is no way you can trust her words."

"Don't listen to him!" Raeburn told Roangy. "Focus on what we came here to do. There are still the children we must save. I swear to you I will bring justice for your parents, but we must survive this first!"

"The children, Aiisha, right the children. You do know how very absurd that is. They aren't even human. They have the power to destroy us all, don't you, Kathrin? Why are you holding it all in. You can kill us easily..."

"I'm following the Doctor, he has rules and I intend to follow them...for now. Actually, something I'd like to aspire to. It was her policy in the beginning too, and I take this moment to honour her, with sparing your life. I don't believe in second chances for your kind, but every now and again I come across someone who is just looking for a way out." Kathrin stepped forward until she was standing next to Raeburn. "Mr. Franklin, why are you in with this lot, I know a good soul when I see one."

"She's right-" Raeburn glanced at Kathrin, each moment that passed, she appeared older. She still looked about 9 or 10, but her soul seemed familiar to Raeburn. Old like his. "Franklin, you need to go home to your daughter."

"I can't." Franklin whispered, his voice suddenly hoarse. "If I leave the Facility now, they'll have her killed, or brought in as a patient. I have to protect her."

Raeburn's glare glowered with fury, hate and he directed it to Dr. Roane. "Even your own employees...their children. How do you sleep at night?" Raeburn glanced at Roangy. Roangy was crying, but she still supported Amewen. Raeburn looked back to Dr. Roane. "I made a promise to your granddaughter. I promised to give you a second chance to make the right choice." Raeburn looked to the men behind Dr. Roane and he stretched out his hand to point at them. "And I extend it to rest of the staff of this facility. You have hurt, experimented, tortured and taken the free will from others and it will go on no longer. You deserve to die and I would love to tear each of you apart slowly, as you did me. But what's the point of having two hearts if I can't be a bit forgiving? Go, leave this Facility and do not come back here. Roanby is in the control room and he will set the self destruct to go off in-" Raeburn looked at his watch, "Oooh, five minutes! Sound good?!" Raeburn looked back at Roangy. Roangy put the phone to her ear.

"Got that?" She looked back at Raeburn. "The countdown has started!"

Martin and Claude blanched. But Dr. Raeburn kept his cool. "Blowing up my facility, I will make you pay for that."

"Let us go and you lot run, no need for all of your unnecessary deaths." Raeburn declared.

"I'll come back for you." Dr. Roane sneered. He and his group cleared the corridor. Sirens and lights flashed. But they were free to go. They ran, limped, down the corridor. Raeburn led the group out the doors and to the 2340s van. It was old and cramped and smelled a bit like chilli fries, but once they were all settled, as settled as one could be after escaping an insane facility filled with evil scientists, Roanby took off.

"_KAAAABOOOOOOM!" _ They had barely made it to the road when the Facility went up in flames.

At the motel Xade slept peacefully on one of the beds; Roanby tended to his wounds. Roangy took to treating the many wounds inflicted upon Amewen, while she rested on the second bed. Strangely enough neither Kathrin nor Raven had any open wounds, just the scars and bruises. Being a vampire had some perks, especially after being pumped full of Time Lord blood. This aided to his quick healing abilities; so did not need any treatment. His burns from the chains healed immediately after they were removed. While everyone rested Orrin took to watching the telly. There was a live feed covering the burning Facility. Raeburn watched each one of them closely, he tried to work them out. Kathrin still had not explained Raven calling her 'mum'. Nor was Amewen trying to defend herself over the accusation of killing Roangy's parents. Clearly the adrenaline was gone, and they all looked very, very tired.

"I need to use the phone." Kathrin told Raeburn. He had taken to sitting on the third bed in small motel room. Raeburn glanced to his side, a phone sitting on a stand.

"Right of course, we need to find your parents. You and Raven's parents."

Kathrin smiled kindly at him. "Well my mom is in Kentucky with the Dunns, or what is left of the Dunns. I never knew my father, he died when I was a baby. Raven's father should still be at our safe house in Scotland." Kathrin stared at Raven, like a parent watching a child growing up. "I was going to call him."

"Can you explain your relationship with Raven...?"

Kathrin looked back at Raeburn but she answered a very different question. "I didn't know it was you who was at the Facility. I should have been suspicious when they started asking questions about Time Lords. I hate that I told them what I did. But they were hurting my little girl, my baby. And I had to do everything in my power to protect her, even if that meant giving information on the Time Lords. I'm sorry that they caused you pain."

Raeburn stared at her, "You're the Time Lord expert, but how? You are just a child!"

"Says you, the old man with the young face, we aren't so different you and I."

"I'm starting to get that...What are you?"

"For one I am a mother."

Raeburn laughed.

"Your kind has the ability to change faces, big burst of regeneration energy, you've had many faces already, this isn't the first one I've run into, y'know. How is what I am, so difficult to believe?"

Raeburn stopped and stared at her. "Words from a child." He said with a smile. "So do you age backwards, I've seen that before."

"No, we are the Pheo. We originated on Earth. It just took one strain of DNA to mutate to create us and it happened naturally six hundred years ago. My mother, was the first Pheo recorded on Earth. Two hundred years later she birthed us."

"US?"

"My brother and Me. However the Pheo can only be passed down to the daughter. My brother was not a Pheo. A hundred years later, Raven was born."

"Explain your age."

"Have you ever heard of the Phoenix, Doctor?"

"Of course I have."

"Well then there lies all of your answers." Kathrin reached for the phone and dialed a number.

"But wait, you can't be a Phoenix. They are life draining fire birds from another dimension. They might feed off of a human, but they certainly cannot take the form of a human, let alone a child-"

Kathrin put her hand up as a voice answered on the other end. "Ben, its me, we're good, we're safe. The Doctor got involved. I know, the intergalactic dweeb who plays with all of time and space has decided to honor us with a rescue. Yes I do feel special. Yes its true he does wear a bow tie.-"

Raeburn glared at Kathrin, but she ignored him. He shook his head. Kathrin and Raven claiming to be the Phoenix was impossible. Their eggs would be laid into the heart of a dying sun, so they could drain its energy. That was as far as their existence was meant for. Draining energy and then punching a hole in the fabric of reality to return back to their dimension. The Doctor had encountered their kind before and while they had a way of influencing humans through psychic links...what Kathrin was trying suggest was just seemed impossible. He had never seen them take on a human form before.

"No-no that can't be right!" Kathrin was going on, she looked at Raeburn and then glanced away, whispering frantically into the phone. "Why would he cross his own time line like that? It certainly doesn't seem safe."

"What are-" Raeburn started, but the little girl gave him a look. A look that blazed with fire. He could see it in her eyes, flames stirring. Raeburn closed his mouth and leaned back. Kathrin went back to chatting with the voice on the other side.

"No we're not there anymore. They moved us to Cardiff- Yeah okay."

Phoenix could live for eons. But maybe, maybe Kathrin wasn't a Phoenix. Kathrin had called herself a Pheo. It was similar, maybe they had evolved. Or maybe this was the result of an experiment with the Phoenix. Or maybe Kathrin thought they were the Phoenix from Earth's mythology. The Phoenix first appeared in Greek mythology. Instead of draining energy, they created it. And when they died they were reborn from the ashes. Either way, Kathrin had only managed to answer a question with another.

"I love you, bye" Kathrin hung up the phone and looked to the rest of the group. "Ben will be here soon. Congrats everyone, we're going home."

Sighs of relief were interrupted by Roangy's voice. "Wait a minute, we aren't releasing Amewen though. She has to pay."

"My only crime against you was failing to protect you. What Spencer said was a lie. Everything he told you was a lie."

"No." Roangy shook her head.

Amewen carefully sat up. "The first lie of all is that he isn't even your grandfather."

"Now that's absurd." Roanby put in.

"Its not" Orrin added, turning from his position in front of the telly. "Why would the son of Zhou and Cassie Ulryuru ever want to go back to _Them_...? Surely you've asked yourself that."

"He had an argument with Cassie..." Roangy answered.

"Well, we assume that's what happened." Roanby finished. "He never told us."

"If he was the true son of Zhou, he'd want nothing to do with the Facility." Amewen spoke.

Raeburn pointed at Roangy, "You yourself told me that Zhou was kidnapped from his home. Why was that...?"

"There was a genetic mutation..." Roangy answered, quietly.

"It was likely that it could be passed on. Would he really want to get involved with a group that enjoyed experimentions on genetic mutations...? Not to mention Zhou being Chinese...why didn't Dr. Roane inherit the epicanthic fold. He should have, but if Zhou wasn't his father...?" Raeburn left the question open ended.

"Spencer's father is my great, great Nephew, Raven's third cousin." Kathrin admitted.

"What?" Roangy, Roanby and Raeburn asked all at once.

"Spencer Roane Ulryuru's grandfather is my father in law..."

"But you're a kid." Raeburn interjected.

"Yeah and you're a twelve hundred year old alien with the face of a twenty year old. I don't get why this is surprising to you." Kathrin went on. "We raided a Facility sixty years ago and well, lets just say the staff didn't survive, we found a four year old boy locked up in one of the offices. He wasn't one of the experiments...he was...human. Zhou and Cassie took him in."

"So when he found out what who he really was, he went back." Raeburn continued.

"But- what does that make us?" Roanby asked.

"Your mother was Ara, your father was Tai, do you remember them?" Amewen asked.

"Yes, but-"

"And your true grandparents were Maple and Yun." Orrin told them.

"I don't remember them." Roangy answered, she actually meant that she didn't believe any of this.

"When I connected with Amewen, she apologized for failing to protect your parents. Why would she continue the lie in her subconscious?" Raeburn asked Roangy.

"But I saw her kill my dad." Roangy wept.

"I didn't..." Roanby whispered.

"What about, Mum...she was with you.?" Roangy cried.

"I didn't see anything. I was playing in the water and then when I looked, the water was red and Mum was dead." Roanby's face was frozen, emotionless. "I never saw what you did. I just sat in her blood, unable to move..." Roanby's face crumpled in pain.

"I'm sorry." Raeburn told him. Roanby nodded.

"I don't know if it was Amewen. But I do believe my sister. If it wasn't for her, I would have lost my mind."

"Doctor, you're a telepath, a psychic and Aiisha trusts you." Amewen stated.

"What are you suggesting?" Raeburn asked her.

"Go through my memories. Prove to her that I am telling the truth."

Raeburn was shaking his head before she even finished. "That's a bad idea."

"Her memories could be a trick!" Roangy cried.

"Maybe your memory is the one that is false." Amewen suggested. Roangy froze at her words.

"N-no, But...they can't be."

"If you can't trust my memories, why don't you have the Doctor look at your own, he would be able to tell if something was false or not." Amewen declared. She looked back at Raeburn, "And believe me Spencer certainly has the capability to implant false memories."

Raeburn was still shaking his head. But Roangy spoke, "Montmore...Who do you think is right?"

Raeburn sighed. "I'm not sure. Dr. Roane has a lot of motivating reasons to do harm...to you and to others. But like Roanby, you said you saw Amewen kill your father...I trust you."

"Do you think he did something to me?" Roangy had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I don't know, I do know that he did something to everyone in this room. And before when we tried to leave he had you drugged and locked up."

"Will you check my memory?" Roangy cried.

"Yeah...okay." Raeburn responded back, giving her the hug she so desperately needed.

Raeburn guided Roangy to a chair and he leaned forward, gently placing his fingers to her temple.

"This won't hurt, I promise." Raeburn told her with a smile. Roangy returned the smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. She was terrified of losing her hate, terrified to find out that it might be very true that her 'grandfather' had lied to her about everything.

_Raeburn closed his eyes and shifted through hall of doors in Roangy's mind. He ignored the closed doors as he searched for the specific memory. It didn't take long, he found a severally damaged wooden door that had been ripped from its hinges. Raeburn was careful not to touch it and he crossed into the room. _

_The metaphysical room was a light pink. A big window seat sat against the opposing wall from the door, the moonlight glinted through pale curtains. To the left was a child's bed with golden stars and pink flowers on the bed spread. A little girl, four year old Roangy, was tucked away in the bed. A white dresser drawer held a little lamp. On the bed a man sat, reading a book. The cover read Starry Dreams by Ceara Lend. _

"'Aiisha looked out the window and there before her she saw a purple dragon-'_" Roangy's father read to her. Roangy's face was bright and happy and enthralled by the story. _

_Raeburn smiled sadly, knowing what was about to happen. However, before Roangy's Father could finish the story the entire room flickered and paused. Static and electricity ran up the walls, as if it was a bad signal coming from a telly. Everything flickered to black and then restarted. _

"_'_Aiisha looked out the window and there before her she saw a golden Spinx-_'" Roangy's father repeated. "'_Aiisha opened her window and the Sphinx spoke to her. The Sphinx's voice was as warm as honey but whispered like the wind, "Hello Aiisha-'_" Roangy's father suddenly jumped up in surprise. A woman with long black hair burst through the window. Raeburn identified her immediately as Amewen. Roangy's father pushed Roangy to the floor. "Hide" He whispered to her. Then he rushed at Amewen. Amewen dodged to the side and whipped out her katana and with it she struck Roangy's father in the chest. Then she withdrew the sword, slung the blood from it and sheathed it. The blood splattered the room with droplets of crimson blood. Amewen smiled cruelly at little Roangy. Roangy stared up at her in terrible fear, but Amewen left her and walked on through the house. _

_Roangy was unable to move for a long time, when she could she tried to wake her father, but he had died before his body hit the floor. "Bubby!" Roangy whimpered. She staggered to her little feet and ran from her room. Raeburn followed her through the small flat. Roangy stopped at a white door, blood dripped from the handle. She pushed it open. Her mother's severed head stared from the floor up at her, her eyes were unseeing. Her mother's body leaned over the bath tub. Roanby stood there in the tub. Blood dripped from his chest, the tub was full of blood. Raeburn turned to Roangy. She was frozen in horror. _

"_Aiisha" Raeburn used her real name to draw her attention. "Aiisha, look at me." He gently touched her shoulder and knelt to her size. The little girl's frozen expression turned to Raeburn. "Listen to me. This memory is wrong. This is not what happened, someone has tampered with it. Memories can be rewritten, but somewhere in here you have a copy of the original, we just need to find it, find out what really happened."_

"_Amewen killed my parents. Look what she did to Abel." Roangy's eyes turned back to her brother, frozen in the tub of blood. _

"_No, this isn't what really happened. Someone has tampered with your memory. Someone wanted you to think it was Amewen. Lets go find out why."_

"_I'm afraid." Roangy cried. _

"_I know and I'm sorry, but I promised you justice and leaving things like this would be wrong." Roangy nodded and Raeburn scooped her up in his arms. He carried her back into her room and back to the broken door. "See, someone damaged this memory, the door to it is broken. Forcing you to relive this memory every day."_

"_Why?"_

"_To fuel your hatred...maybe" Raeburn suggested. "When I first came in your father read you a story, lets look at that." Raeburn picked up Starry Dreams. "The original memory he told you about a purple dragon, but then in the fake memory he was telling you about a Sphinx..." Raeburn sat down onto the bed, with Roangy still in his arms. He flipped through the book. There were seven stories in all, but they were the same seven stories. _

"_That's not right. There were other stories, about dragons, Pegasus and unicorns..." Roangy told him. "It was my favorite book. Dad would always make me the hero of the story." Roangy smiled at the memory. "Except for the last time he read it, there had never been a Sphinx story." She looked up at Raeburn. _

_Raeburn held out the book. "So this is a part of the lie..." Raeburn tore the book in half._

"_Don't do that!" Roangy cried. The book dissolved and vanished. _

"_It's part of the lie...a fake. What was in that book...tell me." Raeburn asked her._

"_It was Starry Dreams, by Ceara Lend. It had dragons and unicorns and Pegasus, even lions with wings and a phoenix. It was my favorite bedtime story." Raeburn sat Roangy on the bed as he stood up._

"_If it was a proper memory, you would have forgotten it...I'll be right back!" He told her. He ran from the room and leaped over the broken door. Then he turned and ran back in. The Memory had rewound and restarted. Roangy was in the bed and her father was reading her the story. _

"_'_Aiisha looked out the window and there before her she saw a purple dragon-'_" The flickering started up and the electricity ran across the room and walls. Raeburn threw himself against the wall and grabbed hold of the wallpaper. He ignored the sting of the electricity and with all of his might he tore it away. The electricity and static crackled and the room flickered. A darkness appeared from behind the torn wallpaper and it turned into a vacuum, sucking Raeburn in. _

_Raeburn shouted in surprise and landed hard onto the ground. Moonlight filtered in through the window and Roangy's father read her a story. _

"'Aiisha looked out the window and there before her she saw a purple dragon. Aiisha opened her window and the dragon spoke to her. The Dragon's voice was as warm as honey but whispered like the wind, "Hello Aiisha-"'" _A banging sound stopped Roangy's father mid sentence. "Wait here, I'll be right back." He told her with a smile. He stood up and left the room. Roangy waited a moment, then she leaped up from the bed and tiptoed down the hall. Raeburn followed her. Roangy peeked around the corner. Her father was speaking to someone at the front door. _

"_Uncle Spence- what are you doing here?" Roangy's father demanded._

"_I came for Aiisha and Abel, they don't belong here with you freaks. Humans and your kind don't belong together."_

"_Leave this place, Uncle Spence." Roangy's father commanded. _

"_Or what, you'll call the police?" 'Uncle Spence', who was undoubtedly Dr. Roane sneered, "No, you won't. Give me the twins, or die, your choice." _

"_No-." Roangy's father went to close the door, but he wasn't fast enough. Dr. Roane pulled out a gun and shot him in the chest, dropping him instantly to the ground. Dr. Roane stepped over Roangy's father. Roangy ran down the hall and into the bathroom. But Dr. Roane followed her. Before he could catch her he was struck in the chest with a broom. Roangy's Mother stood in front of the doorway, trying to protect her children. Dr. Roane stumbled back, but pulled up his gun. Roangy's mother dodged the bullet with amazing speed and dissembled the gun he held in his hand. She spun around and punched him in the face, knocking him down. The kitchen set adjacent to the bathroom. While Doctor Roane was down she reached for a knife and turned back to Dr. Roane who was just getting up. She lunged at him, but he grabbed her wrist and turned the knife back on her stabbing her in the throat. She choked and slipped the ground as she strangled on her own blood. Dr. Roane kicked her into the kitchen and turned back to the bathroom. Roangy had Roanby wrapped up in a towel. They cowered, holding tightly to each other._

_Dr. Roane reached out for them, but staggered as a blood blossomed from his right side. Roangy's father hit Dr. Roane in the face again, leaving the knife in Dr. Roane's back. He reached for his children and pushed them out of the bathroom. He struggled to keep up with them, blood soaked his clothes. He pushed them into Roangy's bedroom. "Amewen's on her way, go through the window, run!" He told Roangy and and Roanby, he slammed the door shut. Roangy ran forward and locked it, then pulled her brother to the window. They heard their father cry out and then go silent. Roangy helped Roanby through the window, their flat was ground level, so it was easy. But when they turned around, ready to run through the garden, there stood Dr. Roane. Covered in the blood of their parents. _

_They screamed but he leaned down to them. "Don't worry little ones, you won't even remember this." _

_The scene flashed to white, stuttered, rewound and then restarted. Raeburn looked away and searched for the exit. But he could not see a door for him to simply leave through. Beyond the rewritten memory there was nothing. "Roangy!" Raeburn called out. But there was nothing. Raeburn tried leaving the house. He went through the front door and found himself in a nice garden. The street in front read Cavendish Drive. Raeburn walked down the street, knowing he was in Cambridge England. However at the end of the street, there was nothing, just a darkness that stretched on forever. The recycle bin of the mind, all forgotten memories and useless information were deposited here. Raeburn didn't dare step out there. He would never get out, if he went out there._

_Raeburn walked back to Roangy's childhood home. He didn't particularly want to relive the memory. But now that he knew that her memory had been deposited here, it was possible she would never get it back on her own. And anything he said to her, she would probably not retain it either. He walked back into her bedroom and the memory started again._

"'Aiisha looked out the window and there before her she saw a purple dragon. Aiisha opened her window and the dragon spoke to her. The Dragon's voice was as warm as honey but whispered like the wind,'"

_"Aiisha." Raeburn called to her. But she did not look back, even when he tried to touch her his fingers slipped through her, like a phantom and the memory continued on, ignoring Raeburn. This wasn't like the fake memory where he could interact with her. This was a memory buried beneath her subconscious. Raeburn closed his eyes as her father left the room and she followed. He stayed in the room with his eyes shut tight. He heard the gun shot- he clamped his hands over his ears, so he wouldn't have to hear it again. He hid his face in his hands when he heard the children run into the room and go through the window. Then it started all over again._

_Raeburn tried pulling at the wallpaper, but it only held white plaster behind it, no secret doors. No cracks in the wall. He hit his head against the wall when he heard the children scream for the tenth time. There was no way for him to get out. He was going to be trapped there forever. Raeburn was growing weary, he didn't know how much time he had spent in Roangy's mind. Things were getting dangerous, if he stayed there much longer, neither of them might ever wake up again. _

_Raeburn took to sitting in the garden. Tai and Ara were lovely people. Their garden was beautiful. At least in the garden, Raeburn could only hear the gunshot and the final screams that triggered the rewind. Anywhere else, he was forced to relive Roangy's nightmare. The same memory had replayed four hundred times. Raeburn covered his ears and laid down. He was never going to get out._


	13. Chapter 13

"_Montmore?"_

_Raeburn's eyes flashed open. He had heard her, he had heard her voice. "ROANGY!" Raeburn yelled. He sat up, but he could not see an exit. Then a light shined above him. Looking up at the sky, a hole was being made in the fabric of the memory. Roangy slipped through it and landed like a cat on the ground. The hole healed itself and vanished. She was grown now. Raeburn couldn't stop himself from giving her a hug. He was ashamed of how scared he had been. He thought he was going to be trapped for forever. _

"_Montmore...where are we?" Roangy asked, returning the hug. Raeburn pulled back, concern etching deep into his face. He held tightly to her hand. _

"_This is what really happened." He led her back to her room, where it had all begun. "The truth that was stolen from you and your brother. Its painful, but you need it. You deserve the truth." _

_Roangy looked around the room until it flickered and rewound. She held Raeburn's hand tightly as she watched it all play out... She didn't cry when it ended. She sighed. Releasing her hate for Amewen in that one metaphysical breath. She tugged at Raeburn's hand. "We don't need to see it again, its time for us to wake up."_

"_I couldn't agree more." Raeburn answered her and this time, a new door appeared where it should have been before. It had been restored and fixed and it led back to her consciousness. Raeburn and Roangy stepped through it hand in hand._

Raeburn dropped his fingers from her temples. He sagged in his seat. He had been in her head much longer than what was safe and he was drained. Roangy opened her eyes and blinked as fresh tears flitted down her cheeks.

"They're awake!" Orrin announced. Amewen, Roanby and Kathrin gathered around them. Roangy turned to Roanby and hugged him.

"They were right, he isn't our grandfather...and it wasn't Amewen who killed them. Grand- He...he killed our parents and took us...changed our memories. Everything he had told us was a lie." Roanby had tears streaming down his cheeks and he held his weeping sister.

"So its okay if I go without punishment, then?" Amewen asked.

Roangy's face crumpled and she hid it in Roanby's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"Its okay." Amewen took Roangy's hands into hers. "I was supposed to protect you and I failed. I am the one who is supposed to be sorry."

"You protected us before...didn't you...?" Roangy asked.

Amewen nodded, her face was still solemn, "Me and Orrin...we were a team..."

"So there is no one left then...our grandfather is evil...and our parents and grandparents are dead. What will we do now...?" Roanby asked.

"What about your Uncle Ethan...?" Raeburn prompted, he was out of breath, and staying awake became difficult.

Roangy and Roanby looked to Amewen and she nodded. "Ethan is alive and well in America...we will take you to him, we'll travel with Ben tonight and as soon as we can we'll go back." Amewen told them.

"And also, Jackson and Elisha are still alive."

"Who are they...?" Roanby asked.

"Ara's parents."

"We still have grandparents who are alive...?" Roanby asked, he dare not believe nor trust the possibly that their story could have a happy ending. But when Amewen smiled and nodded; Roanby and Roangy cried tears of joy. They were going to have a family, a real family.

"That leaves you, Doctor...we need to find your Tardis." Kathrin added.

Raeburn cast a weary glance towards her, "Actually, about that. I thought I would inspect that unidentified spaceship." Raeburn told her.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but that's over with."

Raeburn sat up straighter, "What...? No, it wasn't supposed to turn up until Sunday." Orrin changed the channel to a news feed that covered the ship. It was old footage, maybe an hour old. A curious blue box skittered around it, then both vanished. "You're goshin' me!" Raeburn yelled, jumping up, but that was a mistake, his legs gave out and he fell back into the chair.

"Montmore, are you okay...?" Roangy asked him.

"Yeah...fine." But he stared at Kathrin, waiting for an explanation.

"It was supposed to arrive by Sunday, but its speed drastically increased." Roanby answered instead. "You were mucking around in Aiisha's memory for three hours...I might not know much about psychic links...but that doesn't sound safe."

"Its not...it's worn me out. Now explain, what happened?"

"You uh...it was about two o'clock when we arrived here and two thirty when you did the link thing...At three o'clock this morning...while you were still in the trance the ship entered our atmosphere. The blue box appeared for a moment and then vanished...The ship was still headed to Earth...it would have wiped India off the face of the Earth so they sent missiles. The missiles missed the ship hitting a smaller object. The spaceship was steered away from the Earth at the last moment. Then we got a glimpse of the Blue box once more before both objects just vanished..."

"Actually the Blue box made an earlier appearance, Ben told me when I had first called him." Kathrin explained. Raeburn's hearts sunk. He was so close to the Doctor...so close and missed him due to an unnecessary psychic link, that had nearly killed him and Roangy...that was just...bloody freaking fantastic.

"So, why are you risking putting holes in the Universe by going back on your time line...?" Kathrin asked.

Raeburn was still caught up in his own weary thoughts. How ironic that he was so close to the Doctor...and yet so far. "He doesn't know I'm alive." Raeburn muttered.

"What?"

Raeburn looked back at Kathrin, "I'm a duplicate of the Doctor...I am the Doctor, same memories, years of experience, same bow tie." He winked at Roangy. "He thought I died two hundred years ago. He doesn't know I'm here."

"We were at St. John's Monastery because we were trying to resurrect the Doctor's Flesh." Roangy told them. She went on and explained about Raeburn's rebirth, his new name and stabilization.

"Oh, well I suppose that explains why you don't remember us." Kathrin said with a smile. "It happened after you 'died'."

"And it won't happen in my future because my future is no longer the same as the Doctor's." Raeburn told her.

"So calling you Doctor is wrong?" Kathrin asked and Raeburn nodded.

"We've been calling him Montmore." Roangy told her.

"I like it." Kathrin said with a smile. "Well Montmore, why don't you come with us, work with the Beaumonts? We could use your expertise."

"Thank you, but no, I have other things I'd like to attend to." Raeburn said with a grateful smile. "I'll stick around until Roangy and Roanby reunite with their long lost family, then I'll need to be on my way."

"Thank you." Roangy told him.

"Just in case you change your mind." He whispered with another wink.

Raeburn did not get the rest he needed. Ben Gauntly was due to arrive in forty five minutes, instead of resting plans were being made. Amewen and Orrin promised Roangy and Roanby to get them to their grandparents. They were going to fly to New York City to meet Elisha and Jackson. Raeburn planned to go too. It would make it easier to travel back that way, back to Amy's time. Goals and plans were interrupted by tales of Elisha and Jack.

"The Turquoi family, both Jack and Elisha are brilliant." Amewen told them. "Jack was very close to Emma Roane, your great great grandmother. Emma had saved Jack's father."

"And then when you add Elisha Dunn into the mix, that was entirely unexpected." Orrin added. "I knew Elisha when she was just a girl. Vampires, aliens, ghosts and spirits, she called them the devil, recited Deuteronomy, hit Ke in the face with a Bible and went on her way."

"Whose Ke?" Roangy asked.

"We may run into him yet," Orrin told her. "He was my creator."

"Elisha, she's not...still that way...is she?" Roanby asked.

"She married a Turqoi, didn't she?" Orrin responded. "Ara was a very gifted woman too, I expect to see some of her traits appear in you two."

"Gifted how?" They asked him.

"I assume she was very athletic, very fast and tough." Raeburn spoke up.

"That's right. How did you know?" Orrin asked.

"I learned that from Roangy's memory. She dodged a bullet. Very impressive." Raeburn answered.

Amewen opened her mouth to say something else, however the sound of the motel room's phone cut her off. Kathrin jumped up and answered it. She turned to the group and smiled at them, "We're on our way." She hung up the phone. "Ben's here. Time to go."

Ben did not do the driving a woman named Joan did. Joan called herself the chauffeur, with a laugh and a smile. Ben could not drive, due to the Facility experimenting on his advanced eyesight and causing his blindness. Ben was a good soul, a kind man in his early thirties. Raeburn could see the devotion and love he held for Kathrin and Raven. Raeburn still did not fully understand Kathrin or the Pheos, but he had the feeling it was just something he would have to learn to live with out knowing. Joan 'the chauffeur' seemed playful and spunky. Raeburn could see that she liked everyone there, but he kept a distance from her. He winced when she called him out on it.

"You don't like me much, do you, Raeburn?" Joan asked. They were all in the vehicle, it was a tighter squeeze than the 2340's van, but at least it didn't smell of chili fries.

"You're a vampire." Raeburn stated.

"Oh right, yes, she is...Her creator...and husband was my creator...there aren't that many of us and Joan doesn't even like vampires." Orrin rushed his explanation.

"But you're a vampire..." Raeburn continued. "You don't like vampires but you are a vampire...?"

"I'm a vampire slayer...There were a couple of them that I was found of...my step father Yoru, Ke Okatari...Orrin of course. There were a few others...But I don't take kindly to kidnapping and murder as an excuse of being a vampire. I won't allow vampires to think that its okay to go around and killing whomever they like. I became a vampire so I could continue on that work."

"Very noble of you." Raeburn responded, not entirely convinced of her morals.

Joan took them to the airport in Cardiff first. The tickets were already purchased. Raeburn, Roangy, Roanby, Orrin and Amewen said their goodbyes to the others and boarded the plane. Kathrin had been very generous, giving Raeburn everything he needed. Kathrin knew that he had planned to stay in New York while the others went on to the Dunn residence in Kentucky. She made sure he had plenty of money, a passport and ID along with a phone. Raeburn was impressed at the gifts, but she told him that Ben was the one who had supplied everything. She told him it was thanks for saving her family.

Raeburn leaned back in his chair. First class was the way to go when flying. "How did your lot manage this?" Raeburn asked Amewen.

"That's something you don't need to think about." Amewen told him. "What you should do is rest that head of yours. Three hours running around in memories is dangerous. Trust me, I'm a telepath, I know."

Raeburn looked at her, "What are you, Amewen? Your name is beautiful a mixture of Japanese and Welsh, I have not come across a name like yours...and I'm from the future."

"_Fair Rain_. Did you translate my last name?" Amewen asked.

"Your last name is odd."

"Montmore...you are of the Doctor, you would be happier if I didn't tell you stories that would keep you up at night. All you need to know is that I won't damage this reality and universe. And that everyday I work to keep it safe."

Raeburn stared. "Are you saying you aren't from this Universe?"

"My father wasn't called a demon for nothing. In my world, he was a creature from the other side...But like I said you don't need to worry about that." Amewen stretched her arms and stifled a yawn.

Raeburn watched her closely and then noticed something. "Amewen, Dr. Roane and the others at the Facility...they took samples from you...Big chunks of flesh from your body..." Raeburn stared at her exposed arms. Not a scar even remained.

"I heal fast." Amewen smiled at him. "Now, you...get some rest."

Raeburn shook his head. Was he ever going to get a real answer? But Amewen had turned away, her mouth was sealed.

Raeburn was grateful for the 24th century airplanes. He really was. They had come a long way. Back in the 21st century it took 16 hours to fly from Great Britan to the USA. Now it took about half of that. It was plenty of time to rest his head (like Amewen had commanded.) though he didn't risk a healing coma, that did not seem like a good idea. His shoulder was doing well, considering pieces of it had been cut out. He figured two more days...or maybe six more hours in an healing coma might be the trick.

They arrived in New York City at 8:30 am and there to greet them in the terminal was an old man and woman. The man had short black hair and sky blue eyes. The woman was shorter than the man, her hair was a metallic brown with matching gray eyes. She had a stern disposition, but when she saw Roanby and Roangy she lit up. She hugged them tightly, muttering miss you's and look how much you've grown's. She smiled at Amewen and Orrin, as if she had seen a childhood friend grown up. She introduced herself as 'Memaw Lisha' and she insisted that Raeburn call her that as well.

"I'm Jackson Turqoi" The man introduced himself, "But when you were little you called me Papaw Jack." He told Roanby.

"I always voted to shorten his name." Memaw Lisha explained. "I had an Uncle Jackson then poof two Jackson's in the family. I always insisted on no J names for my own children. We had Jackson, Jerry, my father Jeremy and then the special one George...but he was adopted." Memaw Lisha turned her attention to Raeburn and smiled when she shook his hand, her handshake was firm despite her small wrinkled hands. "I understand that it's you I have to thank for my grandchildren...?"

"They saved me." Raeburn told the old woman.

"Oh you have it all wrong dear, you saved them." She pulled everyone close. "We have transportation all set up to take us to my family's home before we go on to Washington." She told them, "But first we must have some breakfast, I've got the most perfect place in mind, so if you'll follow me." The old woman did not let her age show, she led them right on out to the taxi.

Raeburn stared at the banner above the small retro dinner. He didn't have a chance to complain or explain his expression as he was pulled inside. The sign had read _The Angel's Kiss Dinner. _Raeburn was relieved to find no Weeping Angels in the shop and the food was very good. He couldn't remember the last time he had pancakes, but the food had nothing to do with why he was still there. Roanby and Roangy had found their long lost family. Raeburn tagged along to make sure they would be alright and from their interaction with the Turqois he knew they were going to be amazing.

Raeburn stood up from the table and left the shop. They didn't need him anymore. He sighed once more at that banner, knowing it meant something important, but he turned back and started his way down the snow covered sidewalk.

"Montmore!" Roangy's voice called out, making Raeburn stop and look back. Roangy raced to his side. "Are you just going to leave...? Without saying goodbye?" Her voice was filled with hurt.

Raeburn smiled at her. "We were never fond of goodbyes."

"Well I won't be fond of you for leaving without giving one." Roangy told him. "I take it you aren't coming with us...? What are you going to do?"

Raeburn pulled from his pocket _Summer Falls, _"I'm going to investigate it...find out what happened to her. See if I can save her." Raeburn told Roangy.

Roangy smiled. "Well good luck to you, Montmore and come visit us sometime, okay?"

Raeburn smiled back. "Okay." He told her. She threw her arms around him and gave him a great big hug.

"I'll miss you." She whispered in his ear. Then she pulled away. She was just about to turn back to the Cafe when a man appeared behind her, Raeburn never saw him approach. Roangy froze before she walked into the man. He held up a gun, pointing it at her. "You-" Roangy started, but before she could finish the man pulled the trigger, the bullet leaped from the gun and cut its way through Roangy's flesh. Blood splattered Raeburn as the bullet exited through the back of her neck. It came to a stop when it embedded itself in Raeburn's shoulder. Roangy fell to the ground and the man stepped over her. The force of the bullet and the explosion of pain sent Raeburn onto his back. The man stepped right up to him and placed his shoe over the entry wound of the bullet. It had landed inside of the nerve bundle. Raeburn screamed in agony and the man put pressured onto his foot. Then the man put all of his weight onto that one foot as he leaned down close to Raeburn's face.

"Hello Flesh." said the voice of Dr. Roane. Raeburn screamed again his vision blurred with the pain and the gunshot still echoed in his ears. Then he blinked and Dr. Roane was gone, replacing him were the Turqois, Roanby, Orrin and Amewen. Blinking again, because light blinded his eyes, the familiar faces had been replaced by people in white. He caught a glimpse of Martin and he struggled to get up. Every movement caused fire to incinerate his chest and arm. He fought to get free. He would not be taken back, he was not an experiment. He was living and he would not be taken back. Raeburn cried at the pinch in his arm. "No, no, no!" He yelled, but the sedative took hold of him, forcing his body to go limp and his eyes to shut.

Raeburn's eyes snapped opened in horror. He was on a gurney and he had been strapped down. Surgeons moved in and out of his line of sight. "Please not again!" He tried to call about, but they put a mask over his face, pumping poisoned air into his lungs, forcing him back into a dreamless sleep. He didn't want to end up in the morgue again.

Raeburn coughed, trying to rid the poison from his lungs. He tried get up, but he was still tied down. He forced his tired eyes open, he was in a quiet room with a curtain drawn around him, sufficiently hiding his environment from him. He pulled at the straps, panic quickly set in. His shoulder burned when he moved his left arm, he cried out again and laid back. He didn't realize that he was crying.

"Sssh." A gentle voice commanded. Raeburn looked up, startled and surprised to see Amewen looking down at him.

"Let me go, please!" Raeburn cried, he fought the straps once more.

"You have to calm yourself first." Amewen told him. Raeburn stopped his struggle and laid still. He worked hard to calm his panic.

"You have to help me get out of here, before Martin comes back!" He told her in a frightened whisper.

"Montmorency Raeburn, you need to calm down." She told him. "Martin isn't here, I swear. I was in the room during the surgery to make sure they didn't harm you."

Raeburn tried to relax, to remain calm, but it was difficult. His breathing quickened when he remembered Roangy. "Roangy...where is she...? Is she alright?" Raeburn stared at Amewen when she pushed the hair from out of his eyes, before he could ask what she was doing, she had pulled away again.

"Aiisha...Roangy didn't make it." She told him. Raeburn closed his eyes, it wasn't true. "She wanted to tell you that you did save her."

"Dr. Roane killed her." Raeburn growled.

"I got a swing at him...then lost him...I'm so-"

Raeburn clenched his fists tight, he was still strapped down. "This is what happens when I pass out mercy! I was going to kill that man. I was going to tear him apart!" Raeburn snarled.

"But sparing him made you the better man." Amewen told him quietly.

"No, because of my mercy Roangy is dead!" He yelled.

"Roangy is dead because an evil man killed her." Amewen told him. "Roangy asked you to spare his life, you were honorable and you spared him. You have done everything right."

"And she still died, even though I did what was right!" Raeburn cried.

"But you mustn't give in to the darkness." Amewen told him. "If you stop doing what is right, take the easy path then that darkness will overtake you. And you have such a great power, what a waste if you were to use it for evil. What a shame..."

Raeburn clenched his teeth and closed his eyes as he fought for control over his rage. Calming himself and relaxing he looked back at Amewen, his voice was calmed and controlled. "Release me." He ordered. This time Amewen complied, releasing him of his bonds. Raeburn sat at and rubbed at his wrists. He pulled the wires and tubes from his body and swung his feet over the edge of the bed. He swayed slightly from the quick movement. "Where are my clothes?" He asked, he focused on Amewen, hoping it would slow the spinning of the room.

"Its here." Amewen told him. She placed them next to his hand on the bed.

Raeburn quickly dressed himself and then stood up. He grimaced at the pain in his shoulder. Then he pushed passed the curtain and walked down the hall. Amewen followed him, but he just kept on going, not saying a word. He stopped at the entrance of the hospital, he turned and looked at Amewen who had followed him all the way.

"Goodbye." He told her and then he ran. Raeburn didn't look back to see if she followed, it didn't matter. He ran. He ran through ice and snow, through slushy dirty puddles and across streets. It had been a long time since he ran like this. He didn't have a destination, he just wanted to get away. Away from everyone who had hurt him at the Facility. Away from the 24th century, away from the Doctor who zoomed around in his blue box. Raeburn just wanted to run. He didn't note the drop in the temperature. He didn't notice how wet and soggy his shoes were. He just went on and on. He ignored all the people who walked passed, focusing on their lives. He just wanted to run.

At last he came to an hesitated stop. It was dark now and the snow pounded down from the sky. It was hard to see a foot in front of him. Everything was covered in the white snow. His clothes were soaked and he shivered. His shoulder ached and throbbed. Wishing he had a hot cuppa, he found himself outside of an old retro diner. He pushed the door open and sat at an empty booth. His eyes were unfocused. This was the same place, where it happened. He didn't mean to come here. It was in this place that he had known Roangy and Roanby would be happy with the Turqois and then Dr. Roane came and took it all away. Raeburn put his head in his hands. No matter what Amewen had said, Raeburn should have saved her, he should have protected Roangy better.

The sound of something being set before him, made Raeburn look up. A cup of hot steaming tea sat before him. He didn't question it, he took a sip. Mid sip he noticed a girl sitting across from him. Raeburn set down the tea and stared. The green-eyed girl sat before him.

"You-?" He started.

"Hello, Montmorency." The girl spoke.

"You are Dion...? The ghost. You helped me...Why are you here?" Raeburn asked, trying to make sense of the apparition.

"To help you. Can you believe that it all starts here?" Dion asked him.

"No" He disagreed. "This is the end."

"You have no idea, Montmorency. No clue. Of course this isn't the end...for either of us, any of us. It is just the beginning. This is where it all begins."

"You are wrong, this is the end, there are no beginnings here. This is where Roangy's life ended. Where her happiness ended. Where it was stolen from her. How could this ever be the beginning of anything good?" Raeburn asked her.

"Montmorency, we've met before...you and I." She told him.

Raeburn sent her a glare and then looked out of the window. There was nothing to see. The street lights only illuminated the heavy falling snow. "You're probably talking about my other...the Doctor." Raeburn told her. "Not me."

"Oh no, it is you. Absolutely you, Montmorency. Not the Doctor. Not this time. You are an honorable man, Montmorency." She told him. "You experienced Hell and then dived into its heart to save a group of people you had never met. That makes you special and worthy. And you deserve more than what you have received."

"I don't deserve anything, Roangy is dead..." Raeburn whispered.

"I know, But that doesn't matter. Remembering her smile is enough."

"Go away." Raeburn told her.

The green-eyed girl sighed. "I wanted to thank you for saving my friends."

Raeburn looked back at her."Why didn't you help them?"

"I couldn't, it would have broken my protocol. And then my program would end and I would be unable to move freely. Some things I have managed to learn how to manipulate, but outside of a computer mainframe it is increasingly difficult. It took me twenty years to learn how to carry objects the size and weight of that cup of tea. But enough about me. Because it has nothing to do with me. And all to do with you." Dion smiled. "I know what you desire and I shall grant it on one condition."

"I want Roangy alive and well." Raeburn paused, "What condition?"

"Don't forget me." Dion smiled. She put her hands together and they flickered and became transparent like a hologram. They vanished for a moment then were reconstructed, holding a leather object out to him. She placed it carefully onto the table. Raeburn furled his eyebrows in surprise and confusion. He reached out for it. It was solid and real.

"How did you know...?" He asked her. When he looked up the green-eyed girl had vanished. Raeburn stared at the object for a long time. He looked once more out at snow. Then he pulled the strap onto his wrist and programed the vortex manipulator. With a spark and a crackle the young man vanished from the table, leaving his unfinished cup of tea behind.


	14. Chapter 14

The sudden shift through the time vortex disorientated him. Unshielded and unprotected, Raeburn was flung through the untempered schism. All of space and time swirled around him until the dizziness turned to nausea. His skin prickled and itched as the energy of the vortex manipulator dragged him back in time. Then all at once he zapped into place. He gripped onto the first object he saw, a table, and held onto it while he waited for his brain to realize he had made it out of the vortex. Despite the cheap and nasty time travel of the vortex manipulator, Raeburn's hearts pounded with excitement, it made it easy to push his suffering to the back of his mind. He felt like his old self again, a time traveler. It took Raeburn a couple of minutes to collect himself from the violent trip through time. When he was sure the room wouldn't spin, he opened his eyes. His lips parted in surprise, the edge of the table he gripped was identical to the one from the 24th century. He hadn't moved, he was in the exact same place he was before he activated the manipulator.

The Retro Diner _The Angel's Kiss_ no longer seemed retro. Everything looked new, the polished metal shined, the wood was smooth and the paint smelled fresh. Even the scenery outside of the window held a similar snow fall. Raeburn still could not see past the thick curtain of snow, it kept the view beyond it unknown. Raeburn knew the year was 1955 one year after Amy's book was published, also one year after Tolkien published his fantastical tales of_ The Lord of the Rings_. Raeburn thought about visiting his old friend...Maybe get another signed copy from him. Or maybe get a glimpse at the Silmarillion's manuscript. Shaking his head to help him refocus, Raeburn remembered his real purpose for zapping back in time.

Raeburn glanced around the quiet diner, no one noticed him. Apart from Raeburn, the restaurant was devoid of customers. He heard footsteps and clinking from the back kitchen, but he saw no one. He decided it would be best to leave, he did not have a good explanation for his sudden appearance. He moved towards the door, but before he could slip away a familiar face caught his eye.

"River?"

He took a step away from the door. His eyes locked onto her signature curly hair. There were a thousand secrets hidden in those eyes and a tease tugging at the corner of her lips. River Song, mysterious woman who was in prison for a good man's murder. Raeburn had never learned who she killed, but he had a guess. Raeburn stepped closer to the wall and frame that held the black and white photo of River Song. In four hundred and twelve years the photo would be removed. Raeburn had not seen it before...in the future. His finger traced the glass, he wondered how she managed to turn up here. Why would the Doctor abandon Amy and Rory to this time...? Surely River would help them?

"That's Melody Malone." An unexpected voice answered a question unasked. Raeburn turned back to see a young black woman, she had not been there the moment before. Raeburn cataloged the woman's appearance. The young lady held a no nonsense disposition, Raeburn guessed she was in her early twenties. Her red diner uniform was in perfect order, though her originally white apron held a few stains. Her intelligent black eyes seemed too old for her young face and her hair was pulled back in a tight bun; not a single strand curled out of place. "The original owner named our shop after her agency. There is a long story that goes with that lady. But we made a promise. If she ever turn up, her lunch and tea's on the house." She continued.

"Do you see her often?"

"No sir. Five years back she turned up out of the blue...not looking a day older than the lady in that photo. Its odd because that was taken in '38. But she's a firecracker, she's bound to turn up when we least expect it."

"I don't doubt it."

"And then there's that publisher of hers, she's all fire, that one. She turns up now and again leaving us with unsatisfying spoilers."

Raeburn's eyes brightened at that word...'spoilers'. "Her name wouldn't happen to be Amy Pond would it?"

"No sir, Her name is Amelia Williams, she comes in every now and then."

Raeburn winced at his mistake, but tried to remain cheerful, "You wouldn't happen to know where she lives, would you...?"

The young lady folded her arms and stared him down. She stood her ground, standing firm, "And why would you need to know that?" She asked.

"I've been looking for her."

"Uh, excuse me sir, no way am I going to give a strange foreigner my friends address. It just ain't gonna happen!"

"No, its okay, we're friends."

"You didn't even know her name."

"Her maiden name is Pond and Amy is short for Amelia. She has red hair, green eyes, she's very Scottish. She wrote this book." Raeburn pulled out _Summer Falls_ and showed it to the woman, "Her husband is Rory Williams, great guy, big nose. He's a nurse...I bet he's a nurse...still, probably a brilliant nurse..."

The woman stared at him, "Her husband is a doctor, sir."

"Well good for him! Now, can you tell me their address...please." Raeburn begged.

She was not convinced. She shook her head and sighed. "I have work to do, sir." She turned back to the counter, wiping it down with a rag.

Raeburn followed her while she worked. "What's your name?" He thought if he could connect to her, she'd change her mind.

But she didn't answer him instead she said, "If you wanna stay, then you need to order something." When she looked up again she avoided his gaze, she looked at the clock on the wall above the counter. It read 8:45. She looked back at Raeburn with a sigh. "We close in fifteen minutes, sir...I can't give my friend's address away, but can I get you something else...?"

Raeburn mimicked her sigh in weary defeat. "I don't have any money." He admitted.

"Sir, what did you say your name was...? I could let Mrs. Williams know you were lookin' for her."

He shook his head, "Ahh, it wouldn't matter...I'm Montmorency Raeburn." He held his hand out to her and she took it.

"Tenka Hart..."

"Thanks for your help. And keeping her safe, because not telling strangers keeps her safe." He told Tenka with a sad smile. He released her hand and turned to leave.

"Wait, sir!" Tenka called out to him, Raeburn turned back, raising his eye brows in concern. Tenka fretted for a moment and bit her lip, then she hurried and took his hand again. She led him to one of the stools by the counter and motioned for him to sit. "Sir, your hand is as cold as ice. Why don't you come and take a seat I'll fix ya a nice cup of tea!"

"I haven't got a way to pay for it..." He repeated, his forehead still wrinkled in confusion.

"This one's on the house. I can tell when a good soul needs a cup of hot tea." She waited for him to sit before she went back around the counter. She spoke as she prepared his drink, "I don't like to get caught up in gangs and murders. I don't trust strangers with any extra information they have no business knowing."

"Not telling me shows how clever you are. You're protecting her and that proves you are a good friend. Not only good but wise beyond your years." Raeburn told her, not wanting to discourage her from doing what is right.

"Yeah well, as a black orphaned girl, you have to learn fast. No time for playing with dolls and tea parties." She set the cup of steaming hot tea in front of Raeburn. Raeburn looked at her with sad eyes. He didn't speak, he was sorry that he, that the Doctor could not save every child. Tenka stared right on back, unfazed by the man and ignoring his pity. Raeburn finally acknowledged his tea and sipped it slowly. "Why are you lookin' for her anyway?" Tenka wondered.

His cup clinked against the saucer as he set it down. "She's my friend, my very best friend. We were...separated and I've been looking for her."

Tenka sighed heavily, giving up, she scribbled onto her note pad by the register. She tore it off and folded it in half. She held it in her hand. "You gotta promise me you aren't gonna harm her, she's a very dear friend of mine and if I find out that you've been rude, I will find you!" She placed the creased paper next to his saucer. Raeburn stared at the folded paper. "Its just down the street from here, the blue one." Tenka told him.

"I swear, I'll protect her with my life, all my lives." He spoke quickly as he reached out for it. His finger tips grazed the thin paper and froze there. He looked back up to Tenka's intense gaze. "I thought you wanted to protect her...?"

"I do, but I know who you are and your story makes sense."

Perplexed and nervous he asked, "Who am I?"

"You're Barnabas, from _Summer Falls_. She must have stolen your name for her story. I would have never guessed she'd actually base him off of a real person. You must be special." Tenka replied.

He took a deep breath. Raeburn stood up and straightened his bow tie. "Thank you" He bowed his head to Tenka. He picked up the paper and looked at the neat hand writing, reading the address. Then he turned for the door. He pushed it open, sending the bell at the top into motion and sound. The snow continued to rush from the sky. The crisp air helped him to clear his thinking, excitement pounded in his chest. He took a deep breath and then went back into the diner.

Tenka's head came up in surprise, Raeburn pointed at her. "If you need anything, anything at all, let me know, I'll see what I can do. I owe you one!" He told her with a smile.

"How?" She asked.

"Make a wish, that works..." He smiled at her and then went back out into the winter air. This time when he ran, it wasn't to get away. He was running to her, to be the hero she always thought him to be. Raeburn could not believe his fortune, he didn't really believe in luck to begin with. However the green-eyed girl was right. That diner was where it all began. Amy's house sat only two blocks from the diner. Raeburn turned left down West 85th Street. Her smiling face blossomed in his mind, he was going to see her again.

Raeburn was filled with excitement. He was lost in deep concentration searching through the many doors he passed, looking for the blue one. Raeburn's focus scanned both sides of the street, he didn't pay attention to the sidewalk. Suddenly his feet hit a large patch of black ice. His momentum from running sent him sailing across it and landing face first into a big pile of snow. Coughing on the dirty slush that made its way into his nose and mouth, Raeburn fought to find his feet and balance. Using his left arm to push himself up sent an angry jolt of pain into his shoulder causing him to fall back into the wet snow. He laid there, waiting for the damaged nerves to settle, the coldness of the snow and ice helped immensely. After another moment he found he could move again, pushing up with his right arm he climbed out of the snow. He shook his head like a cat with wet fur and he rubbed the ice crystals from his eyes. Disorientated from the fall he turned in a 360 degree circle. Then he stopped, his eyes glued to the sight before him. Just a few feet and five steps up stood a blue door.

Raeburn reached a hand out to rap on the smooth wood. He hesitated, he couldn't remember climbing up the stairs to the small porch. His hand hovered over the Tardis Blue paint. Suddenly seized with anxiety and fear he remembered his bad dreams. '_Its too late Doctor, you left us to die. We are dead because of you. I'll never see my mum and dad because you left us. You made me wait fourteen years, then you killed me. What a waste, what a disappointment you've been. No, nothing you say will ever stop me from hating you. You sentenced me to death, Raggedy Man. I pay you in return.' _Raeburn shuddered and took in a deep breath. He closed his eyes, pushing the thoughts back. Those words did not belong to Amy, just a dream. Just a bad dream. He pushed forward and knocked on the door.

The door opened slowly and he stood still as a statue. A ginger haired woman stood before him. Her green eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Raeburn found his own mouth open, but unable to speak. He let his hand fall to his side as it had been frozen in place from where he had knocked. The two stared at each other, speechless. When Raeburn finally found his voice, Amy's expression changed to fear and anger. She slammed the door shut.

"A-Amy?" Raeburn called out. He tried the door, but Amy locked it in her rage. He placed his ear against the door and heard her footsteps back away and fade. She spoke to someone, her tone filled with distraught. Horrified, Raeburn stepped back. He didn't know what he did wrong, he didn't know what the Doctor had done. Why was Amy afraid? Quickly being buried in dark thoughts, Raeburn sagged. Maybe coming here was a bad idea. Raeburn looked at the vortex manipulator on his wrist, it still tingled from his last trip. He didn't know where he would go.

At the sound of the door opening again, Raeburn dropped his hand to his side. He straightened his back and looked up. There Rory stood. Rory gave Raeburn a hard look. Rory leaned out and poked Raeburn in the chest, testing to see if he was real or not. "Hello again." Rory told him, his face expressionless and unreadable.

"Hello." Raeburn cleared his throat, he didn't know why it sounded so raspy all of the sudden.

"Well c'mon in before we let all the warm air out." When Raeburn didn't move Rory grabbed the front of his coat and pulled him in through the door. "You've been running around out there in wet clothes, do you have a death wish?" Rory asked him. Raeburn managed to shake his head, he was frozen. Rory rolled his eyes and led Raeburn into the sitting room. "Sorry about Amy, after everything, well she's dreamed you up more than once. I have to say I didn't believe her when she said you were at the door. Have a seat, Doctor." Raeburn slowly sank into the comfy couch. "Wait here, Amy needs to know she's not having a psychotic break, again." Rory left Raeburn alone.

Raeburn dropped his head into his hands. This wasn't going as he thought it would. He expected at least a hug from Amy, but then again, something bad must have happened between her and the Doctor. He ground his teeth in fury for that man. If he had hurt her, Raeburn would have no problems tearing him apart.

"Doctor?" That familiar Scottish voice asked. Raeburn's head shot up and he jumped to his feet. Amy slowly came into the room. She scratched at her elbow, but her eyes looked into his soul.

"Amy- I...I'm sorry." He told her.

"Doctor, it's really you...this isn't a dream...?" She asked. "I mean I trust Rory to tell the truth, but he's lied to me in my dreams before."

"No, Amy this is real, I swear to you I am real." Raeburn took a step towards her, but she jerked back and grimaced in fear. Her violent reaction sent a shard of ice into his hearts. She was afraid of him and that hurt.

"Doctor, Doctor I'm not afraid of you." She took a tentative step towards him and touched his cheek. "I'm afraid that this is just a dream and when I wake up in the morning you'll be gone again." She looked at him, memorizing his every feature, with her free hand she pushed his hair out of his eyes.

Her eyes had obvious lines around them and he could see many strands of silver turned hair. She was much older than he had expected. "Amy-, I'm so sorry, I'm going to take you home right now, I'm going to fix everything." To his surprise Amy smiled.

"My Raggedy Man, my foolish Raggedy Man. I am home already. This has been my home for seventeen years. I can't go back. You know that, you nostalgic idiot." But she pulled him into a gentle hug. "I have missed you so much." She told him.

He hugged her back, ignoring the pressure put against his shoulder. Amy's ginger hair stuck to his cheek. When he pulled the strands loose from his face, he found his own cheek wet, wet with his tears. When she pulled away she took his hand and held it tightly. "Doctor, you are positively soaked through!" Taking stock of what he was wearing her eyebrows furled at his blue jeans and muddy tennis shoes. "What in the name of sanity are you wearing...RORY!" She called.

Rory reappeared by the door way. "What's wrong?"

"Look at what he's wearing...that's just...odd. Unacceptable."

"Normal clothes...that is odd." Rory replied back.

"And he's soaked through..." She turned her attention back to Raeburn. "We need to get you into something dry before hypothermia sets in."

"Amy...I'm a Time Lord, remember? I won't get hypothermia, I can barely feel the cold anyhow."

"You've soaked my sweater...I know a nice cuppa will do. Come along Doctor." Amy's demeanor had shifted fully from fear and rage. Rory and Raeburn could both clearly see a seven year old ginger haired child pulling Raeburn into the kitchen.

Amy put the tea kettle on and set out cups. She took her time with it, using only one hand, the other held Raeburn's hand tightly. "You can let go Amy, I'm not going anywhere."

Amy looked at him with a smile. "You say that, but I'm not letting go." Having the cups set out, with her free hand she held his face. "Oh Doctor, tell me you have someone to travel with, please. I'm so happy you're here...But I just don't know how you managed it."

"What do you mean?"

"Us getting stuck back here, I always thought it would tear you apart to visit us. I thought it would be too painful for you. It's been Seventeen years for us, and I was never angry at you. You have to know that I never blamed you."

"I'm going to fix everything." Raeburn told her. "Make up for leaving you here."

Amy shook her head, "No, there's nothing you can do."

"Never say nothing." Raeburn told her.

"No really..." Her face scrunched up in confusion... "Doctor...you know we can't go with you. You know that...right?" Raeburn stared at her. He wanted to take her back home now. So much he wanted her to be happy. Amy still held his hand and she pulled it up. Her index finger traced the worn leather of the vortex manipulator. "Doctor...?" She looked back up at him. "Doctor, you do remember why we can't go back with you...don't you?"

Raeburn grimaced and looked away. That shard of ice embedded in his hearts grew. What if she didn't accept him?

"Doctor?" Amy guided his face so that he was looking at her again. "You don't remember? How could you have forgotten?"

Raeburn shuddered and breathed deeply to try and calm himself, "Amy, I'm the Flesh Doctor."

Amy let go of his hand, and it stung. His hand physically hurt from the release. Amy took a step back and looked him over. Her eyes moved quickly, accounting for his blue jeans and tennis shoes, his tweed less windbreaker jacket and the way he held his left arm closely to his chest. Finally her eyes came to a rest on his maroon bow tie. Her eyes slowly connected with his gaze. "You survived." Her stare left Raeburn breathless and speechless. "But you're the Doctor and you survived." Her lips tugged into a smile. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, tears brimmed. She came back into his space and hugged him again. "I'm so glad." She told him. And this time the hug felt as if it belonged to him, not stolen from the Doctor.

They were forced apart by the scream of the kettle, prompting Amy to turn off the stove and pour the boiling water into the cups. They sat down at her kitchen table and Rory joined them.

"Wow, Doctor, this is beyond real." Rory told him, then he gave a look. "Should we even call you Doctor...I mean you are the Doctor..."

"If he wasn't wearing a bow tie, I'd assume he was someone else." Amy declared, making Raeburn smile.

"Because bow ties are cool."

Amy shook her head, "Noo, they're not, but it would be too out of character for you."

"Well we can't just call him the Flesh Doctor." Rory continued, "That is just...not nice."

"Actually I've come up with a name for myself." Raeburn told them.

"Its not John Smith is it?" Rory asked.

Raeburn chuckled, he shook his head 'no', "I'm Montmorency Raeburn."

Both Rory and Amy choked on their tea at the same time. Amy recovered the fastest. She punched him in the arm, sending a jolt of pain into his shoulder, but he kept that hidden from her. "You read my book!" Amy pointed at him. Then a broad smile spread across her face. She sat back down and stopped pointing. "Did you like it...? You didn't like the name Barnabas?"

"Well I had someone give me the nickname Montmore afterward..."

Amy and Rory laughed at that, delight and happiness shone there. "How long are you going to stay?" Rory asked him.

"Well..." Raeburn thought about it.

"You can't just ask him like that, he wanted to take us back to Leadworth."

"But we can't go back, we're going to stay here, nothing we can do about it."

"Why not? Look, the vortex manipulator can easily get you home easily."

"Doct- Montmore, River has one of those and we've seen often enough, if we could we would. But we can't so it must be left at that." Amy told him.

"Why?!" Raeburn demanded angrily.

Amy sighed, "Its because of the Angels." Raeburn stared at her in horror. "They were using an old hotel as a factory, pulling people back, feeding off of their energy. And then they targeted Rory. We created a paradox, poisoning their food supply stopping all of it..." Amy paused and Rory picked up from there.

"There was a survivor, grabbed me before we made it back into the Tardis."

"And I blinked...I allowed it to take me so I could be with him."

Raeburn's voice was expressionless, he understood now. He didn't look at Amy, he had failed her, he couldn't save her after all. "So the first paradox was extremely dangerous, and if you leave, go back to the future, it could essentially blow up New York..." The Ponds nodded. "You really can't leave..."

"No, we can't." Amy confirmed.

His sad, hearts broken eyes looked back at her. "I'm the Doctor...but I don't have the Tardis, just a wrist band full of cheap tricks." He pulled it off and dropped it unceremoniously onto the table. "I don't know what to do." He told Amy. "I don't know where to go and I don't want to travel alone."

Amy shared a thought in a look with a Rory. Raeburn caught the exchange but did not know what they were thinking. Rory sighed heavily, but then nodded. Amy smiled and looked back at Raeburn. She put her hand over his. "Do- Montmore, why don't you stay with us for a while. Live in New York City, for now. Its the slow path for us. But you don't have to be alone, you have a family right here who will love you and take care of you."

"Of course you can't be a moocher." Rory warned him, "You have to get a job and it might be a good idea for you to get your own place."

"He could have the attic, we can set something up for you." Amy suggested. "A nice little study to keep your brain busy while the rest of us sleep." Amy told him with a smile.

"But you'll need to help with chores around the house, this isn't like the time you came to stay, we don't have loads of free time to play on the Wii...we don't have a Wii to play on the Wii... There's the laundry, sweeping, mopping, dishes, the lawn..."

"When did I stay-?" Raeburn asked.

"I mean...when the Doctor stayed..." Rory amended.

"But those first four days you flipped and forgot about Brian in the Tardis." Amy laughed.

"Whose Brian?"

"My dad." Rory explained. "Wow, you missed quite a lot...Um..."

"There were these cubes, yeah? We thought it was an alien invasion, it ended up being the Shakri trying to wipe out humanity, we blew up his spaceship..." Amy explained a smile on her face.

"Wait, no the Shakri is a myth-"

"A bed time story told to kids on Gallifrey. Yeah the Doctor said that too."

Raeburn gaped at her, then closed his mouth. His expression changed to surprise. "And you blew up the Shakri?"

"They did try to kill all of the humans..."

Raeburn shrugged, "Fair enough. How did...uh" He glanced at Rory, "Brian take in all of this alien stuff?"

"He took it really well. And he liked investigating it." Rory told him. "I mean, he was already used to everything thanks to our unprecedented adventure with the dinosaurs."

"We got to see dinosaurs? When?" Raeburn eyes brightened.

"That was about seventeen years ago." Amy complained. "I don't remember the year, it was in the future, you- the Doctor brought along Queen Nefertiti and A guy called Ridel."

"You materialized around us while my Dad was trying to change the light bulb in our sitting room. It was quite a shock to him."

"There were dinosaurs on an old Silurian Ark and it was on a crash course with the Earth and then some Indian lady thought it would be clever to send up missiles."

"And Me and my Dad flew the ship out of the way." Rory finished.

The Ponds smiled at Raeburn's dropped jaw. He stared at them a long time without speaking.

"Montmore?" Amy asked in concern.

"Do you have paper and a pen?" Raeburn asked suddenly.

"Uh, yeah hang on." Amy retrieved a pad and a pencil. Raeburn went to work sketching and within a minute had drawn the spaceship he had seen in 2367. "That's it, that's the Silurian Ark!" Amy declared.

Raeburn plummeted his head into the table. He was so...

"Montmore...?" Amy poked his head.

Raeburn looked back up, a red patch formed on his forehead from where he had bumped it. "I was there." He told her. "I was in Cardiff. While you were adventuring with the Doctor I was in Cardiff...I was going to try and investigate the ship...but stuff got in the way."

"Stuff tends to do that." Rory answered.

Amy stared at Raeburn. "What were you doing in Cardiff?"

Raeburn breathed deeply. "My surviving...I had help...A strange organization called the Facility resurrected me. They weren't very nice...Anyway, no need to worry about that." He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes, Roangy's broken body flashed before him and he grimaced.

"Its okay, Montmore, you're with us, your safe." Amy told him.

"I'm still kicking myself mentally for missing you and the Doctor." Raeburn shook his head, trying to push the memory back.

"Don't worry about it. And that's an order." Amy told him. Raeburn gave her a grateful look and they were both quiet for a moment.

Rory stifled a yawn and stood up. "Well since Montmore is going to be staying with us I'm going to expect to see him in the morning and go to bed. I've got to be up at the crack of dawn." Rory announced. "Good night Montmore."

"Night Rory."

"I'll be up in a bit." Amy whispered to him. Rory gave her a kiss and left them alone. "I've got to be up early too, we can talk more then, you can help me with my outing tomorrow." Amy told Raeburn. "I'll set up the couch, though knowing you, you'll probably not want to sleep."

"Amy..." Montmore started, not standing up when she did. She sat back to her seat and waited. "There's one thing...one thing that has been on my mind for a very long time. And I'm sure it was resolved a long time ago...but there's something I need to know."

"Anything." Amy promised.

Montmore inhaled a deep breath, "Before...Before we went to find Canton...You, all three of you knew who sent those letters. You made me trust you, but you wouldn't tell me who or why." Amy pursed her lips, thinking back on the memory. Raeburn spoke quietly. "I was so terrified you were leading me into a trap."

"I know." Amy answered. "But River said it would have been safer not to tell you what we saw. When we ran into you at that diner..."

"You had been crying." Raeburn finished.

"Because the person who sent those letters were you. You from the future. You invited us to see your own death."

"What?"

"We witnessed our own daughter kill my best friend, course we didn't know about River at the time and we didn't know that it wasn't really you. But when I swore on fish fingers and custard, I was trying to protect you from your future." Amy explained quickly, her voice low. "I'm so sorry about all of that."

Raeburn had heard everything she said, but did not understand most of it. However the memory of the Doctor's goodbye flashed forward.

"_And now my death arrives." Raeburn had said, leaning against the heavy door to keep the monster from his friends. _

"_But this one we're not invited to." The Doctor responded._

"He knew...he knew about it, that day that I...was created. You told him."

Amy's mouth opened. "No, I told..." Amy thought about it. "I thought I was telling you, but you must have swapped shoes before then."

Raeburn nodded. "I was struggling, with all of my memories. So many memories. And the knowledge of what I was...Flesh...And you lot, the humans were running for your lives. The Doctor helped me focus and stabilize. We're the same person, were the same person. It was obvious that you wouldn't trust me and that was terrifying so we swapped shoes."

"Wow..." was all she could say.

"Amy, you said River was your daughter...and a couple of other things...are you going to explain?"

Amy stood up from the table, a mischievous grin on her face. "Not tonight, Raggedy man. If you want to know the rest you have to stick around. I'm going to bed. Lets settle yours and tomorrow we can talk more." She went to a closet and retrieved a blanket, pillow and some sheets. While she set up the couch into a makeshift bed, Raeburn changed out of his wet clothes and into pajamas stolen from Rory. When he came back she had finished, but sitting next to the coffee table in front of the couch was a large basket filled with many different types of electronics.

"That is our recycle bin. We have a bad habit of keeping them, even after they break. I know you don't sleep much and boredom has nearly killed you before. So if you want to work on them to keep busy, that's fine. Just don't make a lot of noise, okay?"

"Amy, I am not a child who needs to be provided with activities." His tone exasperated.

"Of course..." A big grin popped on her face when Raeburn sat down onto the couch and started working on an old radio.

"This will keep me busy for a couple of hours." Raeburn told her. Amy smiled but she didn't leave from her spot. Raeburn looked back up after a few minutes. "Amy...?" Amy's expression had changed from warmth to fear and sadness. Raeburn put down the radio and stood up, he crossed the distance and took her hand in his. "I'm not going anywhere...I swear."

"It still seems too good to be true. I'm afraid you won't be here when I wake up in the morning and I don't think I can deal with that." Amy let tears fall down her cheeks.

"Amy...I-..." He was thoughtful. "Hang on, wait here...right there." Raeburn disappeared from the room and returned a moment later. He took her hand again and placed the vortex manipulator there. "I'm not going to run away from you. I've always been running to you. You are the first face this face saw and since the moment I was resurrected my thoughts have been on you. I don't know who I would be with out you."

"You'd be the Doctor." Amy told him through her tears.

"I don't know if I would. I'm not the Doctor because of who the Doctor is...but because of who you saw when you looked at me. The Doctor...he...we've had a lot of bad days. As soon as I woke up in 2367 I gave myself the name Raeburn so I wouldn't have to be him anymore. But you...I'll be the Doctor for you." Raeburn's words only served to make her cry harder. He put his fingers under her chin and looked into her eyes. "I swear I won't go anywhere. You hold onto this, I can't go far with out it. Just...don't activate it...New York is quite lovely and I'd rather not blow it up before its time."

His words brought a smile and she threw her arms around him. The force of her hug slammed into his shoulder. An involuntary gasp escaped from his lips and his body went limp.

"Doctor?!" Amy took on his full weight and she struggled with him. She carefully maneuvered him to the couch as he gaped in pain. "Doctor, what's wrong?"

Raeburn clenched his teeth and he clamped his hand over his left shoulder. "I'm okay" his voice was tight, suggesting that he was not okay at all. She glared at him through her worry. "That's a bloody lie, what's wrong?"

"Just...an accident, its okay."

"No you are not. Tell me now, or I'll get Rory."

Raeburn rolled his eyes. "I...was hurt...I got shot at before I made it back. Its still quite sensitive...But I'll be fine. A couple of healing sessions and it'll mend."

"You were shot?" Amy looked him over, worry cut deep into face, making her look older again.

"Don't worry, the wound isn't that deep and the bullet has been removed. Most of it has healed already...Its just located in a bad spot." Raeburn told her, trying to catch his breath.

"Maybe Rory should take a look at it..."

"No, its fine. I've had enough people muck with it already." Raeburn relaxed as the agitated nerves settled. He sat up, showing Amy that he was actually okay.

"Alright. Well then, you should make use of my couch and go to sleep." She helped him to lay down and she covered him with a blanket. "If you don't get proper rest you can't help with my chores tomorrow."

"But-"

"No excuses. Now go to sleep." She leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"Good night Amelia."

"Raggedy man, good night."


	15. Epilogue

**Well, it has been a good adventure. Thank you for following me all the way and thank you for all of your feedback! But now it is time for this story to come to an end. I hope you enjoy this final part.**

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Raeburn awoke, barely refreshed from his dream infested sleep during the night. He needed to work on that. He was meant to be in a healing coma, but his hearts just would not cooperate. It was early, just a little after five in the morning, if his time sense was right – and it was.

The sound of another person's breath in the room compelled his gaze up. A blurred figure stood by the doorway leading out of the living room. At first, Raeburn thought it was Amelia. She had stood there for a long time the night before, watching him. Amy's fear that Raeburn would disappear wasn't surprising. Raeburn's decision was very out of character, the Doctor would never stay in one place forever. But Raeburn didn't have the TARDIS and a vortex manipulator was a rubbish way to time travel, especially for companions. Raeburn knew his time in one place would be difficult, but it was time: time for him to stand still and face life in linear form. He would do what he wanted to do and maybe even learn about himself.

The figure by the door was not Amelia. The silhouette was considerably shorter, with short curly hair. Raeburn patiently waited for his eyes to focus and soon Raeburn could tell that the shape was that of a boy. He had a gruff expression on, Raeburn could tell he was nervous by the slight shake of his fists. Raeburn gingerly sat up, his shoulder protested at the movement, sending flashes of memory of how the wound came to be. Raeburn grimaced at the slow falling image of Roangy, blood soaked. Raeburn shook his head, sending the image to the very back of his mind.

"Who are you?" The boy asked.

His words reminded Raeburn that there was an unknown child before him. Raeburn looked up at the boy who had taken an unsure step towards Raeburn's place on the couch. The dull glow of the dawn hidden behind clouds gave just enough light for Raeburn to see dark gray brown eyes look back. His brown curly hair rippled at his movement like a wind through a thousand paper thin springs. The boy was lanky and skinny, but his eyebrows were intense, filled with distrust. He wore a cardigan that went over a very neatly ironed and well kept dress shirt. His trousers were without a wrinkle, crease or stain.

"My name is Montmore, what's yours?"

He chewed on the inside of his mouth and didn't answer him instead he demanded, "What are you doing on my couch?"

"I didn't know this was your couch. I was just resting on it."

"It belongs to my Mum and Dad, it doesn't belong to you." He insisted. "How did you get in here? Dad always locks up. Are you moocher? You need to leave."

Raeburn's expression softened. "Your Mum and Dad...are they Rory and Amelia?" Raeburn smiled when the boy nodded and he continued, "They didn't tell me they had a son."

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

"That is very true and very wise." Raeburn nodded. "But I'm not a stranger. Look at my clothes, I've borrowed them from your Dad. And your Mum set me up this nice bed couch...couch bed...couch for a bed. I'm a good friend of your Mum and Dad and they let me stay over."

"Why didn't they tell me?" The boy asked, still suspicious.

"I got in very late and they weren't expecting me...You were probably asleep. The real question is - why didn't they tell me about you?"

The boy thought about this while chewing on his inner cheek. Then with a shrug he answered, "I'm Anthony."

"Nice to meet you, Anthony." Raeburn held a hand out and Anthony took it. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I always get up early." Anthony told him. "I like to get up early and think. I always come down stairs and think on the couch. But you're in my way."

"I'm sorry about that. How 'bout I scoot over and you can come and think?" Raeburn made room for the boy. Anthony wiggled his lips, thinking about it. Then he nodded and came to sit. "What do you like to think about?"

"All sorts of things." Anthony replied. "I have a schedule that I follow. I made it myself." He said obviously proud of his achievement.

"That's good, how old are you?"

"I'm ten years old, sir."

"You don't have to call me sir, Montmore will suffice," Raeburn told him with a chuckle.

Anthony's brow scrunched, "What is 'suffice?'"

"That means 'good enough.'"

"Okay." Anthony put his head in his hands and leaned forward...thinking.

"Do you ever ... think about someone named River Song?" Raeburn asked.

"Sometimes."

Raeburn raised his eyebrows in surprise, but the boy was deep in thought, so he said, "I think about her a lot."

"She has two names. I like to think about that. She comes to visit often and she always brings me something. She loves Mum and Dad a lot. When she's here it feels like we're a family."

Raeburn was thoughtful, "So it is good when she visits?"

"Yeah."

"What are her names?"

"Sometimes she's River Song and sometimes she's Melody Malone. Mum helps her publish her stories, they're about monsters called Weeping Angels. Mum never ever trusts any of the statues, which is a little silly because monsters aren't real. When she's home and Mum is feeling really..." Anthony thought about it, trying to find the right word, "emotional she'll call her Melody. Do you know her?"

"I did a long time ago, before your Mum and Dad came here. I don't think I know her anymore though. And Weeping Angels are not something to make light of. I wouldn't trust the statues either."

"You are as strange as Mum is."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't though."

Raeburn shrugged with a smile, but didn't answer.

The sounds of footsteps moving above their heads had the two looking expectantly towards the stairs where the steps progressed to. Anthony gave a confused look. "That's not right, Mum isn't usually up for another hour."

"You have her figured?"

"She likes to sleep in." Anthony explained.

A bedraggled Amy came down the stairs, her eyes looked wild as if she'd just come out of a nightmare. She instantly connected with Raeburn's own gaze. A sleep deprived Rory followed in suit. They came right into the living room, Rory in his bathrobe and Amy in her nightgown. The adventure with the Star Whale flitted to the front of Raeburn's mind and he smiled.

"Good morning, Anthony." Amy said kindly to her son and Anthony jumped up to embrace her and he took hold of his father's hand.

"Mum, I found a moocher on our couch." He told her seriously and Amy smiled.

"His name is Montmore, he's an old friend of the family." Amy told him ruffling his tousled curls. "And he's going to be staying with us for a while."

"Really?" Anthony looked to Rory for confirmation. Rory gave it with a nod.

"Kind of like when River comes to visit?" Anthony asked.

"Kind of, except he'll be around more often and he can help out, with homework and stuff." Amy told him.

Anthony nodded his approval and Raeburn chuckled. Amy took a seat on the couch, one hand held Rory's and the other clasped tightly around Raeburn's hand. "I'm so glad you're still here." Amy told him.

"I'm not going anywhere," He told her with a smile. Rory pulled his boy over to the couch and held his hand.

Amy sighed a breath of content. "This is good. I've got my boys." Rory smiled and Anthony grinned and Raeburn relaxed. Relief flooded him and he didn't worry about his hearts, or his dreams or even about Roanby or Roangy. He didn't worry about the past or the future and he didn't worry about running away. He didn't think about the Doctor or about how he would probably never see his beloved blue box again. He thought about being alive. Being alive and being loved. Raeburn had made it home and he had a family. He knew that with whatever happened now, everything would always be okay.


End file.
